ATO logo
Search Suggestion:

Protect yourself from misinformation and disinformation

Protect yourself from tax and super misinformation or disinformation. Use trusted sources and check if you're unsure.

Published 16 June 2025

What are misinformation and disinformation

Misinformation is false or inaccurate information that is not created with the intention of causing harm. It's often spread innocently or carelessly where people don't realise the information they're sharing isn't correct.

Disinformation is false or inaccurate information that is deliberately created and spread to harm a person, social group, organisation or country.

If you act on misinformation or disinformation about tax or super, it can lead to very serious consequences. So, we recommend that you:

  • only act on information you can trust
  • check the information with the ATO or a tax or super professional.

Only act on information you can trust

You may come across misinformation or disinformation in many ways. Sometimes it's hard to know if a source is one you can trust. Beware of things like:

  • unqualified people sharing incorrect or ‘free expert’ tax and super advice on various platforms
  • fake or dodgy websites with incorrect information
  • unofficial government websites – for example, if the website URL doesn’t end in '.gov.au' then it may not be an official government website
  • fake news articles or false information shared on social media or other platforms
  • influencers encouraging you to 'game' the tax and superannuation systems
  • promotion of unlawful tax schemes and tax fraud
  • ATO-impersonation scams
  • claims that tax is voluntary, you can opt out of the tax system, or that the ATO doesn’t have legal standing. These claims are incorrect and can lead to significant penalties. Refer to PS LA 2004/10 Tax laws claimed to be invalid for our response.

You may even get false or inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) tools. So, be careful about how you use them for tax and super information. Always check the information you get with a trusted source and whether it applies to your situation.

Check information before you act

Getting your tax and superannuation obligations wrong can be serious. You could incur penalties, fines or even be prosecuted. You need to be careful about acting on advice from a person, business or organisation that isn't a qualified expert.

If you're unsure if information is correct, check it with the ATO or a tax or super professional before you act on it.

Check with us

We are your primary source of information about your tax and superannuation obligations. You can connect with us to check information you've got from sources that you're unsure of. Connection options for the ATO include:

Check with a tax or super professional

Depending on the type of tax or super advice you need, you should check with a tax or super professional, for example:

  • a registered tax practitioner – use the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) Search the TPB RegisterExternal Link to check if a tax or BAS agent is registered
  • another tax or super professional, including a

You can also check information via your own super fund's website.

How to report misinformation or disinformation

You can confidentially report misinformation or disinformation by either:

  • completing the tip-off form on our website or in the ATO app 'Contact us' section
  • phoning us on 1800 060 062.

Details for reporting

If possible, you should include the following details when reporting:

  • details of the misinformation or disinformation, including where it's being promoted
  • a link to the website or screenshot of the information
  • name and contact details of the person, business or organisation promoting it.

The more details you can provide, the better we can act on it. Even if you only know partial details or can only complete some sections of the tip-off form, it's still very useful.

Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra.

QC105074