The NTAA recently forwarded a detailed letter to the ATO offering our feedback with respect to the release of the Tax Ombudsman's Report Review: ATO's registered agent phone line and service offer to agents — October 2025 ('Report'). 

In our letter, we confirmed that our interaction with many members is consistent with the observations that have been made by Ruth Owen, Tax Ombudsman, in her recent report. We summarised the tax agent feedback that we had received, and noted that issues experienced by tax agents included the following: 

• delays and call disconnections when using the tax agent phone line, particularly during busy lodgment periods; 
• calls being answered by staff who broadly lack the tax-technical knowledge or experience to deal with complex queries raised by tax agents; and 
• tax agents have become very frustrated with the fact that they are not considered part of the solution when it comes to promoting voluntary tax compliance. 

We confirmed in our letter that we strongly support the Report's recommendations, and that we are ready to actively participate in consultation with a view to improving tax agent engagement with the ATO. 

Editor: A copy of our full letter to the ATO is on our website — click here.