The ATO's fuel crisis relief program has closed. Tax debt pressure hasn't.

The formal relief window has ended, but that doesn't mean your options have. Whenever tax debt enters the conversation, whatever caused it, it's worth talking to our team before you approach the ATO directly.

Talk to us about your situation

Program closed

The ATO's dedicated Fuel Crisis Relief measures closed as of 30 June 2026. Standard ATO hardship provisions, payment arrangements and remission pathways remain available to eligible businesses, and our team can help you understand what's still on the table.

The situation

This has always been a cash flow story, not just an energy one

Fuel prices were one pressure point among many feeding into transport costs, business margins, and ATO obligations that were already difficult to carry. The businesses most exposed were often in trouble before the crisis began, and that underlying pressure doesn't disappear when a relief program closes.

Collectible ATO debt

$54B+

The majority owed by small and medium businesses, many already managing payment arrangements since COVID.

Insolvency risk

37x

Businesses with ATO tax defaults are 37 times more likely to become insolvent within 12 months. (CreditorWatch)

The ATO has been steadily tightening enforcement since the end of COVID restrictions. Director Penalty Notices increased 136% in 2024-25. The General Interest Charge, now running at almost 11% annually, has been non-deductible since July 2025, making the real cost of carrying ATO debt materially higher than most businesses realise.

A closed relief program doesn't mean a closed door. Standard hardship and negotiation pathways with the ATO are ongoing, and understanding your specific position before you engage is still the right starting point, regardless of what triggered the pressure.

Whatever's driving it

If tax debt is part of the conversation, talk to us before you approach the ATO directly.

Start a conversation →

About Tax Assure

Negotiating with the ATO is a specific skill

There's a difference between setting up a payment plan directly with the ATO and negotiating an arrangement through someone who does this work every day.

Knowing what the ATO will and won't agree to

The ATO has specific processes for hardship cases. Understanding those processes changes what you ask for and how you frame your situation.

Getting your lodgments right first

Lodgment currency is a prerequisite, not an afterthought. Approaching the ATO before sorting this loses ground you cannot recover.

The long view on what comes next

Relief measures are temporary. The arrangements you negotiate now need to be ones your business can sustain when enforcement returns to normal.

Olga Koskie

CEO & Director, Tax Assure

"The businesses that come out of a crisis period in the best shape are the ones that engage early, get their position right before they make contact, and negotiate from an informed position. That's the difference between an arrangement that holds and one that gets harder every quarter."

Get this right the first time.

The arrangement you negotiate now is the one that holds when enforcement resumes.

Talk to Tax Assure →

Get started

Tell us where you stand

A short conversation is usually enough to understand your options and what approach makes sense, whether or not your situation was tied to the fuel crisis. No commitment required.

We'll be in touch within one business day. All enquiries are confidential.

This page provides general information only and does not constitute tax or legal advice. For current ATO hardship and payment arrangement provisions, visit ato.gov.au or speak with our team directly.