About the sessions
The ATO app is designed to benefit all taxpayers, including those who have their tax and super managed by a tax professional. Its security features help protect your clients year-round, and it also includes practical tools that can make managing tax simpler for both you and your clients.
We have sessions available for you to attend in which we demonstrate the ATO app features and provide detailed walkthroughs.
The sessions include information on:
- myID and online access strength, and how they help protect taxpayers from account takeover
- security features in the ATO app, along with an overview of other useful functions you can use with clients, such as myDeductions.
Registration details
|
Date |
Time |
Attendee registration link |
|---|---|---|
|
Tuesday 21 July 2026 |
11:30 am – 12:30 pm AEST |
|
|
Thursday 23 July 2026 |
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm AEST |
Top tips for using the ATO app
When taxpayers use the ATO app and myID it can:
- enhance security
- improve visibility of account activity
- support early detection of suspicious behaviour.
How the ATO app can help tax practitioners
Even when taxpayers use an agent, their account can still be targeted by fraudsters. The security features in the ATO app help keep your clients safe. The features can also:
- act as an early warning system, with real-time alerts prompting clients to contact you if they notice unexpected agent activity
- result in a reduction of calls to you for small things that can be checked on the ATO app, such as finding their TFN or checking the progress of their return.
Using the ATO app to minimise risk of account compromise
Mobile applications are the industry standard when it comes to managing personal and financial data. App stores regulate the publishing of apps and verify them as genuine. This means they can't be easily impersonated or intercepted.
The security in the ATO app:
- provides an extra layer of visibility for taxpayers regarding activity on their ATO account
- includes real-time notification of
- new myGov links to an ATO account
- ATO app registration on another device
- allows taxpayers to lock their ATO account in real time if they are concerned about unauthorised access or changes.
If a taxpayer locks their account using the ATO app, they can only unlock their account using the same registered device. It can't be unlocked through ATO online services.
Taxpayers who have had their accounts locked by us due to confirmed identity theft or fraud, or a high risk of those occurring, may have had their access to ATO online services or the ATO app restricted.
Where the taxpayer can set up a Strong myID they can then use the Strong myID to log into ATO online services or the ATO app to regain access to their account. For more information see How to get stronger security online (myGov and ATO app).
How myID and the ATO app work together to protect your clients
We recommend your clients upgrade their ATO online services sign-in method to use myID, as it provides the most secure access to our online services, whether signing in through myGov or the ATO app. For the best protection, taxpayers should set up their myID identity strength to the highest strength they can.
Once a taxpayer uses myID to sign in to ATO online services, they will then need to use their myID with the same (or higher) identity strength for all future access. This helps keep them safe from fraudsters trying to impersonate them or access their account.
Using the highest online access strength with the ATO app:
- increases the visibility of account activity
- allows the account to be locked if suspicious activity occurs.
Using myDeductions in the ATO app
Learn about these 2 key functions of the myDeductions tool:
Data backup of records if obtaining a new device
myDeductions records are stored locally on the taxpayer's own device. The ATO app doesn't automatically back up data and photos.
The ATO app reminds taxpayers to back up their records to another location in case their device breaks or is lost. If taxpayers change their smart device, backups also enable myDeductions records to be transferred to the new device.
Taxpayers can choose to back up to their connected private cloud storage or to another location.
For more information, see Why you should back up data.
Storing and uploading data in the ATO app
myDeductions saves data to your client’s device. The tool doesn’t automatically send data to us. We can’t see their myDeductions data unless they choose to send it to us.
Once myDeductions data is uploaded it can be accessed by us even if not included in an income tax return. We will upload the data to the taxpayer's pre-fill records.
When a taxpayer does send myDeductions to us, only the text components is sent, not photos. Your clients’ record-keeping obligations don't change – they still need to keep a copy of their data and any associated evidence. The associated evidence to substantiate their claims could be:
- the original receipt
- photos within myDeductions of the original receipt.
To send photos and other data to you, your client must complete a backup in the ATO app. Once completed, photos and other data will be available in a .zip file which they can email to you.
If you only require one or two photos, your client can open the .zip file and send you the individual photos. Alternatively, your client can take a screenshot of the photo or photos and send them directly to you.
The data sent via email is a CSV file and doesn't contain metadata or any identifying information, such as TFN.