Mental health and wellbeing support
Looking after your mental health and wellbeing is important. If you're feeling stressed or overwhelmed, support services are available. For more information, see Mental health, wellbeing and counselling services.
Session overview
Delivered by Beyond BlueExternal Link, this session highlighted the importance of tax professionals prioritising their own wellbeing during challenging times. Attendees gained practical strategies to support their mental health, learned about the NewAccess for Small Business OwnersExternal Link (NASBO) program, and heard firsthand how seeking support can make a meaningful difference.
Webinar recording
Watch the recording at a time that suits you and claim continuing professional educationExternal Link. Attendance certificates are not issued for viewing webinar recordings.
Media: ATO open forum session – May 2026
https://tv.ato.gov.au/ato-tv/media?v=bi9or7or9b86mgExternal Link (Duration: 1:07)
Key insights from tax practitioner questions
Missed the forum? Here’s what we heard:
Challenges facing the profession
Tax practitioners experiencing significant and growing pressure
Tax practitioners told us they are facing increasing pressure from:
- growing compliance obligations
- competing priorities
- new and evolving legislative change
- technology advancements
- staffing challenges.
Concerns were raised about workload, business sustainability and maintaining work-life balance while supporting clients through an increasingly complex environment.
The Commissioner has acknowledged that tax practitioners are supporting clients through an environment of increasing change, uncertainty and complexity, and that clear, timely guidance is critical. To support tax practitioners through this change, the ATO provides timely guidance and updates through channels such as:
- open forums
- the Tax Professionals newsletterExternal Link
- newsroom
- live streams
- the ATO website.
Working together to understand and address tax practitioner challenges
Tax practitioners highlighted the importance of the ATO understanding the day-to-day realities of running a practice and supporting clients. Participants welcomed opportunities to share feedback on the impacts of policy, administrative processes and emerging reforms.
Consistent with the ATO Strategy's focus on stewardship, collaboration and co-design, the ATO is committed to working with the tax profession as trusted partners to better understand practitioner experiences, challenges and emerging issues. Feedback gathered through open forums, the Tax Practitioner Stewardship Group and other engagement channels helps inform ATO decision-making and identify opportunities to improve communication, guidance, services and support.
These engagement opportunities enable tax professionals to contribute practical insights, test ideas and help shape solutions that are effective and workable in practice. Practitioner feedback also plays an important role in increasing staff awareness and understanding of the challenges faced by the profession and the clients they support.
By listening to and learning from the profession, the ATO can continue to strengthen its support for tax practitioners, improve the client experience and contribute to a more effective and sustainable tax and superannuation system.
Concerns raised about the Vulnerability Framework
Some tax practitioners questioned whether existing vulnerability initiatives adequately recognise the pressures experienced by tax professionals. Participants expressed a desire to see greater acknowledgement of tax practitioner vulnerability, and the important role practitioners play in supporting vulnerable clients.
As part of the design of the Vulnerability Framework, the ATO consulted with tax practitioners, to understand their experiences supporting taxpayers experiencing vulnerability. The ATO recognises that tax practitioners are trusted advisers who are often uniquely positioned to identify when clients are experiencing significant challenges and to help them access tailored support. We also acknowledge feedback that more could be done to better recognise the challenges tax practitioners face when supporting vulnerable clients, and we will use these insights to improve guidance, services and support.
The ATO continues to practically implement the Vulnerability Framework across its services and operations. This includes updates to policies, procedures and staff guidance to explicitly recognise the impact that vulnerability can have on a taxpayer’s ability to meet their obligations. We are also strengthening staff capability through training and specialised support services, including the Tailored Support Hub, to better support taxpayers who are experiencing vulnerability, and tailor our engagement approach appropriately to reduce the risk of re-traumatisation or unintended harm.
Feedback from tax practitioners will continue to play an important role in shaping how we support taxpayers experiencing vulnerability, while also improving our understanding of the challenges practitioners face when assisting clients through difficult circumstances.
Mental health and wellbeing support
Wellbeing support services
Tax practitioners recognised the importance of wellbeing and resilience, particularly during high-pressure periods such as tax time. Participants valued practical strategies that could be applied in their professional and personal lives to help manage stress and maintain wellbeing.
Participants told us that access to practical support and wellbeing resources is important, particularly during periods of high workload and uncertainty. The ATO will continue working with organisations such as Beyond Blue to help raise awareness of available support services and practical wellbeing resources that tax practitioners can access when they need them. Find out more about the mental health and wellbeing support services available.
Importance of creating space for difficult conversations
Participants acknowledged that discussing mental health can be challenging. The session reinforced the importance of recognising early signs of stress and creating supportive environments where people feel comfortable seeking help.
The discussion highlighted that mental health can be difficult to talk about, particularly for small business owners and those supporting others through challenging circumstances. Creating opportunities for these conversations helps reduce stigma, encourages people to seek support earlier and increases awareness of the assistance available. Sessions such as this open forum play an important role in keeping these conversations visible within the profession.
Practical wellbeing strategies resonated with attendees
Tax practitioners responded positively to practical tools and techniques shared during the session, including strategies to manage stress, avoid reactive decision-making and maintain perspective during challenging situations. Many attendees indicated these were practical approaches they could apply immediately in their practices.
The positive response to these practical strategies reinforces the value of providing tax practitioner-focused information that can be applied in day-to-day practice. We will continue to promote practical tools, resources and support services that help tax practitioners manage pressure, maintain wellbeing and build sustainable practices.
NewAccess for Small Business Owners (NASBO) program
The session highlighted the NewAccess for Small Business Owners programExternal Link, a mental health coaching service designed to support small business owners through challenging times. Attendees were interested in how the program could support both tax practitioners operating their own practice and the small business clients they assist.
NASBO provides free and confidential mental health coaching to eligible small business owners. The sessions help participants manage stress and navigate challenges impacting their wellbeing using low-intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. It provides people with a personalised toolkit to manage day-to-day challenges and help break the cycle of negative and/or unhelpful thoughts. No doctor’s referral or mental health care plan is required enabling easy access to practical, early support for mental health issues while helping to prevent symptoms from potentially getting worse.
Continuing the conversation
Ongoing demand for tax practitioner-focused support and engagement
The discussion highlighted strong interest in continued engagement about tax practitioner wellbeing and the broader challenges affecting the profession. Participants indicated they value opportunities to share their experiences and contribute to conversations about the future sustainability of the tax profession.
Tax practitioner wellbeing remains an important area of focus. Through open forums and other engagement activities, we will continue to engage with the profession to better understand the pressures affecting tax practitioners, identify emerging issues and use these insights to inform future support initiatives, resources and engagement activities.