Ratification of charter
Members of the Tax Practitioner Improvements Consultation Working Group (TPIC) discussed the group’s charter, feedback included:
- Member expectations differentiation – Feedback was received to distinguish expectations for Australian Taxation Office (ATO) members versus external members, including professional associations and tax practitioners.
- Subgroup reporting and oversight – The group agreed to explicitly state in the charter the responsibility of subgroups to report back to the main group, ensuring oversight, review, and evaluation before matters are updated at the Tax Practitioner Stewardship Group (TPSG).
- Key messages and communication timelines – Key messages from meetings will be distributed to the group within 5 business days (wherever possible), with the opportunity for members to provide feedback before public publishing, ensuring accuracy and timely communication.
The charter will be updated and circulated with the key messages for formal endorsement from members to complete the ratification process.
Feedback was received around confidentiality and transparency of meeting papers. It was agreed that the group will aim to rate items as confidential only when necessary. We will strive for transparency by clearly indicating what can be shared and if/when information transitions from confidential to public or limited status.
Forward work program
An update was provided to members on recent and upcoming consultations related to the Tax Ombudsman’s recommendations, including outcomes from the March session, further plans for March and April, and the ongoing process for refining the forward work program.
The first targeted consultation session was held on recommendations 2A and 2B, which focused on identifying content and functionality gaps in ATO digital services and understanding why agents call instead of using online channels. Key issues raised included:
- need for progress updates
- escalation processes
- visibility
- improved support for agents.
The plans for upcoming consultations and scheduling were provided to members. A session on recommendation 3D (fast key codes) is scheduled, and plans are underway for April consultations on recommendations 4A and 2C, with invitations to nominate participants to be sent shortly.
The April TPIC meeting will be face-to-face with a focus on collaboratively identifying and understanding the tax profession’s priorities for improving agent interactions, further to the Tax Ombudsman’s recommendations.
ATO's engagement with agents
A strategic consultation was held with the group to gather input on how the ATO can effectively recognise and communicate the value of the tax profession more, addressing current gaps, communication challenges, and potential new approaches including:
- Current gaps and inconsistencies – members identified a disconnect between high-level statements of appreciation for the profession and the day-to-day experiences of agents, citing inconsistent communication, lack of empathy in interactions, and a perception that agents are sometimes viewed as adversaries rather than partners.
- Internal ATO education and empathy – members stressed the need for internal education within the ATO to ensure all staff, especially at operational levels, understand the critical role of agents and approach interactions with empathy and professional courtesy.
- Communication channels and content – the group discussed the effectiveness of various communication channels, including newsletters, open forums, webinars, and podcasts, with feedback that newsletters are often too frequent, repetitive, or not sufficiently targeted, and that more interactive, timely, and relevant formats (such as webinars and recorded forums) are preferred.
- Visibility and notification of direct client communications – the group raised the issue of direct communications to clients, suggesting that agents should be notified in advance or concurrently when important messages are sent to their clients, to avoid confusion and maintain trust in the agent-client relationship.
The ATO committed to taking the group's feedback to inform the development of new recognition and communication strategies, including potential targeted consultations and ongoing engagement with this group and other consultative groups.
Registered agents phone line – developing criteria for assessing quality
Members were consulted on the quality and resolution of agent calls from the agent’s perspective, seeking input on what constitutes high-quality interactions, appropriate assessment criteria, and areas for improvement, with a commitment to consider feedback for future quality assurance (QA) criteria improvement.
The team provided an overview of the existing QA framework, sampling and reporting approach, noting key assessment capabilities of professionalism, integrity, and resolution. Discussion included:
- Defining high-quality calls and resolution – members emphasised the importance of staff understanding agent needs, providing clear and consistent information, demonstrating empathy, and ensuring efficient, actionable outcomes that respect agents' time and business requirements.
- Assessment criteria and behaviours – the relative importance of various assessment criteria, with suggestions to include empathy, technical accuracy consistent with published guidance, and the ability to handle complex or multi-client queries, in addition to the existing professionalism and resolution measures.
We will circulate the consultation questions to the group for further input, feedback will be consolidated into key themes, and we will engage the group in the development and validation of revised QA criteria and processes.
Action item
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Action item |
20260325-02 Registered agent phone line QA feedback |
|---|---|
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Status |
Open |
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Responsibility |
TPIC secretariat |
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Description |
Send consultation questions on the quality and resolution of calls from the agent’s perspective to members. |