Our role and responsibilities
Our role is to effectively manage and shape the tax and superannuation systems that support and fund services for Australians, including:
- collecting revenue
- administering the goods and services tax (GST) on behalf of the Australian states and territories
- administering a range of programs that provide transfers and benefits to the community
- administering the major aspects of Australia’s superannuation system
- being custodian of the Australian Business Register.
We operate under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013, within the Treasury portfolio, and are accountable under the Public Service Act 1999.
Our vision
We aim to be a leading tax and superannuation administration, known for our contemporary service, expertise and integrity.
We are committed to advancing our strategic direction. Our purpose is to contribute to the economic and social wellbeing of Australians by fostering willing participation in our tax and superannuation systems.
We aim to achieve taxpayer confidence in the Australian tax and superannuation systems by helping people understand their rights and obligations, improving ease of compliance and access to benefits, and managing non-compliance with the law.
You can learn more about our strategic direction and compliance activities through speeches and media releases that we publish to our Media centre.
The ATO is the principal revenue collection agency of the Australian Government.