Our Reconciliation Action Plan
Our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2024–27 sets out our commitments to advancing reconciliation under Reconciliation Australia's 3 core pillars – relationships, respect and opportunities.
Our activities under ‘Governance, tracking and reporting’ support us to monitor progress and share outcomes and lessons with our staff, the community, the government and Reconciliation AustraliaExternal Link.
Relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
We're committed to building respectful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and organisations. By working together, we can better understand peoples' needs and support participation in Australia's tax and superannuation systems.
We will continue to explore options to establish meaningful partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations, and improve our services to support better economic outcomes.
During 2025–26, the ATO's Engagement Plan and Guiding Principles supported culturally informed engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders. The plan and guiding principles have helped to strengthen staff capability across the organisation.
Over the year, we have showcased our commitment to reconciliation publicly, including through:
- senior leader and organisational social media posts about National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week
- the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and
- tax information available in First Nations languages.
We continued to work with public sector agencies and other organisations to advance reconciliation and improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Through participation in cross-agency networks, including the Australian Public Service Reconciliation Sharing Network, which we co-hosted, we shared knowledge gained through our reconciliation journey. We also contributed to the development of the Priority Reforms Strategy and supported collective action.
We also supported practical initiatives, including with Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) to raise awareness of Payday Super changes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses before its start on 1 July 2026.
National Reconciliation Week
In 2025–26, we continued to recognise National Reconciliation Week (NRW), with a national event featuring a:
- First Nations SES host
- SES Indigenous Champion
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employee network co-chair, and
- community outreach project leader.
The event encouraged reflection on reconciliation and highlighted the importance of allyship in achieving meaningful outcomes. Site-based NRW events were also held across the organisation, with staff participating in local activities, external community events and learning opportunities throughout the week.
Respect of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Respect is central to reconciliation and to delivering culturally appropriate services. We demonstrate this by recognising, valuing and respecting the diverse cultures, knowledge and lived experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
We continue to recognise and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures across our workplaces. Acknowledgment of Country plaques and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags are displayed in all ATO buildings.
We also progressively create culturally informed reconciliation spaces across our sites to foster connection, learning and understanding between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous employees.
During 2025–26, reconciliation spaces were completed in Dandenong and Wollongong, building on existing spaces in Adelaide, Townsville and Albury.
Cultural learning and immersion
The ATO continued to embed its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Capability Approach, which provides a structured framework for cultural learning across 5 capability levels.
As at 30 June 2026, 99.8% of all ATO employees had completed the Indigenous Australian Cultural Awareness (IACA) online training, exceeding our RAP target of 95%. Throughout the year, 446 staff participated in facilitated cultural capability training sessions, further strengthening understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and perspectives.
During 2025–26, the ATO continued to provide cultural immersion opportunities for staff and leaders, with employees participating in 3 Jawun secondments and 1 Jawun executive visit.
In addition, 2 SES and 2 First Nations employees attended the annual Garma Festival in August 2025, broadening opportunities for cultural immersion, leadership development and engagement with First Nations communities.
NAIDOC Week
We continue to build relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through our celebration of NAIDOC Week. We support local site-based events across the country and a national online event hosted by an SES Indigenous Champion, with panellists including an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employee network co-chair, and guest speaker from the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA).
Creating opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
As a large public sector agency, the ATO provides meaningful employment and career progression for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, along with support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses through our procurement activities.
Staff professional development
In 2025–26, the ATO continued to invest in the professional development and career progression of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees through a range of leadership, mentoring, mobility and education opportunities.
Highlights included:
- Four employees participated in the Australian National University (ANU) First Nations Graduate Management Program.
- Eight employees participated in the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Executive Indigenous Leadership Program.
- Nineteen employees participated in the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) First Nations Emerging Leaders Program.
- Sixty employees were supported through the Indigenous Mobility Development Program, helping participants broaden their experiences, networks and career opportunities across the ATO.
- Twenty-five employees participated in Indigenous Executive Mentoring Forums, providing opportunities for mentoring, networking and engagement with senior Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders.
Stepping Stones Pathways pilot
The Stepping Stones Pathways Pilot launched in October 2025 with 36 participants and currently has 26 active participants. This program supports APS3 and APS4 First Nations staff, involving career development activities and workshops designed to build confidence, capability and career readiness. Since the pilot started, 11 participants have been promoted and approximately 14 have undertaken higher duties opportunities.
Tertiary education opportunities
Twenty-two Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees received funding support for their tertiary education through the ATO's Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).
Over the financial year, 2 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees graduated, one with a Bachelor degree and one with a Master's degree.
Evergreen program
The 2025 Evergreen Program, a 12-month entry level program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, supported 34 participants to successfully complete the Certificate IV in Government and the Certificate IV in Business.
Participants were subsequently broadbanded to APS3 and have secured permanent placement across different areas of the ATO, supporting Indigenous employment, capability development and career pathways.
Supplier diversity
We continued to support economic participation by engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses, and maintaining our corporate membership with Supply Nation. Commercial relationships were maintained with over 80 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suppliers, and 250 contracts (valued at $42.8 million) contributed to the Treasury Portfolio Indigenous procurement targets.
Community support
This year, the National Tax Clinic Program delivered strong outcomes, with 6 clinics assisting over 800 individuals and small businesses in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and remote communities. This support contributed to the lodgement of 2,760 income tax returns and 160 business activity statements.
We surpassed our target of attending 10 face-to-face community events by participating in 22 outreach events.
At these events we:
- provided tax education
- assisted with tax return lodgments, and
- reunited taxpayers with over $4.1 million in superannuation.
Through our participation in the First Nations Foundation's Financial Wellness Weeks, we supported 184 taxpayers and assisted with the lodgment of 64 tax returns. This outreach provided an important opportunity to build trust and strengthen connection with communities.
Governance of our reconciliation commitments
We monitor and report on our reconciliation commitments to support delivery of meaningful outcomes. By sharing our progress, we promote accountability and transparency across our organisation.
Both the Australian Taxation Office corporate plan 2025–26 and the Commissioner of Taxation annual report 2024–25 include references to the ATO's RAP.
We maintain a reporting and governance framework to monitor progress against RAP commitments, including quarterly reporting to senior leaders and regular RAP Working Group meetings.
Ongoing focus areas
Formal 2-way partnerships
We are actively building relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations. Through ongoing engagement, we are building the foundations for formal partnerships that support shared decision-making. Work will continue to identify partnership opportunities that can be formalised over time to progress reconciliation outcomes.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employee representation
We continue to implement a range of initiatives to increase the representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across our workforce, including:
- expanding inclusive recruitment practices and affirmative measures recruitment
- maintaining dedicated employment pathways, including our Evergreen entry level program
- embedding diversity and inclusion commitments within workforce planning.
In 2025–26, we advertised 46 affirmative measure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander recruitment processes, an increase from the previous year. Representation also increased at some classification levels.
These are positive developments, but they have not yet led to the overall representation outcomes we're aiming for. Continued focus on recruitment, promotion and talent development is required, especially at senior levels.
Improving representation rates will remain a key focus for the ATO over the life of our current RAP.
|
Classification |
Target 2025–26 |
Results Q4 2025–26 |
|---|---|---|
|
APS 4–6 |
4.5% |
3.1% |
|
EL1–2 |
3.0% |
1.3% |
|
SES |
2.5% |
0.4% |