Personal crisis or vulnerability
A personal crisis or vulnerability means you are experiencing significant personal circumstances that affect your wellbeing or ability to manage your tax and superannuation. This may include events such as a tragedy or death in your family, serious illness or disability, mental health issue, or family and domestic violence.
Financial hardship
Financial hardship means you are struggling to access necessities for yourself or your family. Necessities can include food, housing, clothing, medical treatment, education or other basic items.
Natural disasters
Being affected by a natural disaster means you have experienced disruption, loss or damage because of a major environmental event. This can include events such as bushfires, cyclones, droughts, floods or severe storms.
Death of someone close to you
If we are trying to contact someone who has passed away recently, the executor or next of kin (or another person) should phone us to let us know. When you are ready to deal with the tax and super of the deceased person, see:
- our checklist of what to do when someone dies (in English)
- super death benefits or death of an SMSF member (both in English).
How we can support you
If you are experiencing a personal crisis, financial hardship, natural disaster or the death of someone close to you, and you are struggling with your tax or super obligations, contact us for help. We can provide tax support (in English) for when you need it most.
We also have information available about our support for people experiencing vulnerability, where you can get financial advice, and mental health, wellbeing and counselling services (all in English).
Contact us as soon as possible
We encourage you to contact us about your situation as early as you can. You can expect that:
- you will be looked after fairly
- we will help you get certainty on your tax and super position
- we will listen to your situation and offer support that is tailored to you
- you will get clear and simple information about your options and next steps.
Our phone numbers
If you want to speak to someone due to a natural disaster or immediate crisis or hardship, phone our Emergency Support line on 1800 806 218.
You can also phone one of the following enquiry lines:
- Individuals enquiries 13 28 61
- Lodge and Pay enquiries 13 11 42
- Business enquiries 13 28 66.
Before phoning, check:
- the operating hours for the phone service (in English)
- you have the information to prove your identity (in English).
If you would prefer someone else to speak to us on your behalf, you can:
- nominate an authorised contact online (in English)
- speak with a registered tax practitionerExternal Link who can contact us on your behalf (in English).
If you prefer to speak with us in a language other than English, phone the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) on 13 14 50. This free service provides an interpreter in one of these available languagesExternal Link (in English). The service will connect you and an interpreter to us so we can help with your query. To contact TIS National, between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm AEST, Monday to Friday, phone:
- 13 14 50 if you're in Australia
- +61 3 9268 8332 if you're outside Australia.
If you are d/Deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech/communication difficulty you can contact us through the National Relay ServiceExternal Link (NRS) (in English), as follows:
- Contact the NRS through your preferred NRS call channel, detailed in NRS call numbers and linksExternal Link (in English).
- Provide the NRS with the ATO phone number you want to call.