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Commitments to service

Understand the level of service you can expect when dealing with us under normal circumstances and our performance.

Last updated 13 August 2025

The ATO's current year service commitments set out the level of service when dealing with us under normal circumstances. During peak periods, we receive more calls than usual resulting in longer wait times. For example:

  • July to October for individuals who pay income tax
  • May to August for businesses, and
  • during quarterly activity statement lodgment periods.

We may also ‘block’ calls from entering the ATO environment when inbound calls are expected to significantly exceed our capacity. This minimises the risk of clients queuing for excessively long periods of time, and then subsequently abandoning the call without receiving service.

We apologise for this inconvenience and thank you for your patience. Our self-serve options save time. Many enquiries can be managed using ATO online including myTax or the ATO app, or our self-help phone services.

You can find out about our performance against those commitments.

Further information about our commitments to you can be found in our Charter.

2024–25 Service commitments

Assessment indicators

Performance measures

Respond to enquiries within timeframes
  • Average wait time for inbound general calls of less than 15 minutes
  • 40% of inbound tax practitioner calls answered within 7 minutes
  • 90% of electronic taxpayer requests finalised in 15 business days
  • 80% of private rulings finalised in 28 calendar days of receiving all necessary information
  • Responsiveness to referrals of unpaid superannuation - In 90% of employee referrals of unpaid super (where we have sufficient information to progress), we have prompted the employer within 28 days to self-assess

Process my lodgments within timeframes
  • 94% of electronic tax returns and activity statements finalised in 12 business days – applies to current year tax returns only
  • 90% of electronic amendments finalised in 20 business days
  • 80% of paper tax returns, activity statements and amendments finalised in 50 business days
  • 93% of Australian residents' ABR registrations finalised in 20 business days
  • 93% of electronic Commissioner of Taxation registrations finalised in 20 business days

Resolve my complaint within timeframes
  • 85% of complaints resolved within 15 business days, or within the date negotiated with the client

The ATO lets me know of status or delays
  • Private rulings – if we find that your request raises particularly complex matters that will take more than 28 calendar days to resolve after receiving all the necessary information, we will aim to contact you within 14 calendar days to negotiate a due date (target 80%)

Notes:

The current year commitments to service are in line with the commitments we make under the ATO Charter.

Current year performance

Information about how we are performing against our commitments to service.

Service commitments 2023–24

Information about our 2023–24 service commitments performance, as at 30 June 2024.

QC33670