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ATO Payment Plan

We negotiate an ATO payment plan on your behalf, or optimise your existing payment arrangement, getting you into a compliant position that prevents further ATO legal action.

Making ATO payment plan contact is the first step to freedom from tax debt.

An ATO payment plan works like an insurance policy, putting you into a position of compliance that eliminates the risk of legal action.

As the ATO clearly points out, “if taxpayers don’t engage with us to manage their debt, we may take action to recover the debt.”

The impact of ATO debt recovery action can be far-reaching. When you are not in a compliant position, it is much harder to borrow money. If you receive a garnishee notice, it impedes your ability to trade. ATO legal action can also potentially lead to the loss of your business.

Simply speaking with the ATO and making voluntary payments will no longer protect you from ATO legal action. Making ATO payment plan contact by getting a compliant payment arrangement in place is the only way to protect yourself and guarantee no further legal recovery action.

But it can be stressful, disruptive and extremely time consuming to meaningfully engage with the ATO, especially when you have a business to run. That’s why it makes sense to get help from the professionals in tax debt negotiation. If what you need is some time, breathing space and a helping hand, then we can facilitate exactly that. We can negotiate an ATO payment plan that is affordable for you, your business and avoids the risk and stress of ATO debt recovery.

Tax debt payment plans that suit your needs.

There is no simple ‘one size fits all’ approach to ATO payment plans.

We recognise that every client has a different story and different cash flow position. Our team works with you closely to understand your ideal goal with the ATO. We don’t just work with numbers all day, we work with people.

Tax debt payment plans are not as simple as the amount of debt divided by a number of weeks or months. Different factors are taken into consideration in the case of ATO payment arrangements such as:

your individual circumstances,
past behaviour,
and the history of lodgements and payments.

Having experts in how best to manage a tax debt means that you can achieve the best possible payment plan for your tax debt and financial needs. As specialists in dealing with the ATO, if your existing payment plan has become too difficult to manage, then we can renegotiate your payment plan with the tax office.

How we arrange and negotiate your ATO payment plan

1. Tax debt review

The first step to making ATO payment plan contact is assessing your current circumstances. Once we receive the appropriate permissions, we engage the ATO on your behalf to assess your current tax debt and allow you space to breathe and to make an informed decision.

2. Tax debt resolution report

We analyse your objectives and cash flow needs, and what factors may affect your ability to negotiate better terms on an existing ATO payment plan. We then provide you with a report detailing our strategy for your payment plan, the process, and the fees
involved. We offer fixed, upfront fees, giving you a clear view of your overall position.

3. Preparing an application

Once engaged, we undertake a more detailed investigation of your tax debt and prepare the relevant application to the ATO. Our approach takes into account the reasons that caused you to arrive at your debt position, and utilises our skills and experience to negotiate within the guidelines for what the ATO will consider to be an acceptable tax debt payment plan.

4. Outcome and review

Applications are typically prepared and lodged, and an outcome obtained within 6-8 weeks. However, if there is a relevant financing or legal deadline, we always work within those parameters, and can achieve outcomes within 24-48 hours after receiving the appropriate authorisations. If the application is not accepted at the first attempt or if further negotiation is required, then we keep working until you achieve a result.

What's different about Tax Assure

Singular focus

Tax debt negotiation and resolution is all we do. We aren’t insolvency practitioners or lenders first. Our work complements that of accountants with a separate and unique specialty: a deep understanding of how to advise on and negotiate with the ATO and state revenue offices to achieve the best possible reductions of tax debt.

Unrivalled experience

We are Australia’s most experienced tax debt advisors. Our principals each have more than 20 years’ commercial, legal and tax advice experience. We value highly the trust we have earned from our clients and partners over years of help paying tax debt.

Unique expertise

No other firm in Australia who only provides ATO debt resolution services is registered with the Tax Practitioners Board, whose regulation ensures we meet national standards of professional and ethical conduct.

Independence is strength

Our independence means we have the freedom to always do the right thing. We don’t answer to a parent company, insolvency practitioners, or lenders. Our sole motivation is to manage and reduce your tax debt, getting you into a compliant position with the ATO so you can get on with business.

CLIENT QUOTE:

"I’m amazed at how efficient you were at finding a solution."

How we optimised an existing ATO payment plan

CHALLENGE:

Our client, a height safety specialist, initially came to us in May 2021 when a significant debtor had failed to pay their invoices equivalent to $800K. At that time the ATO debt was accumulating, and the CFO didn’t know how to balance the demands of the ATO with the company’s cash flow.

SOLUTION:

Tax Assure successfully negotiated a sustainable payment arrangement for the ATO. However the client returned to us in February 2022 as COVID-19 caused site closures and labour shortages for the business, further tightening cash flow.

RESULTS:

We were again able to negotiate a new payment arrangement for the client within the company’s cash flow, accounting for potential downturns if COVID-19 impacted the business again.

November 30, 2022

The Many Benefits Of A Tax Debt Payment Plan

There are many things that could go through your head and you may even feel like there is no clear path out of the situation.

What Our Clients Say

“Olga has been the best to deal with, she not only cares about my business but also what the end goal is for me too. I highly recommend reaching out to Olga to help you with any tax debt obligations.”

– Tyson, via Google

Frequently Asked Questions

01How much time will I have to repay my tax debt?

With a well-prepared ATO payment arrangement application, it is possible to get up to three years to repay your tax debt.

ATO payment plans are not as simple as the total debt divided by a set number of weeks or months, so our work involves negotiating the best possible terms with the ATO.

02Can a payment arrangement help avoid being reported to a credit agency?

In short, yes. If you have a debt that is more than 90 days overdue and over $100k, the ATO can report it to a credit reporting agency, without any warning, which goes on your credit file.

The good news is, you don’t need to pay the debt in full to prevent this, you just need to be in a compliant payment arrangement.

03How does all this impact my credit rating?

Business tax debt over $100,000 is reportable to credit rating agencies if there is no payment plan in place and no active engagement with the ATO regarding the debt.

Which is why it is so crucial that you speak to us sooner rather than later.

We can engage with the ATO on your behalf, get a payment plan in place and get the issue dealt with – so it doesn’t impact your access to credit.

04What happens if I can’t pay my ATO payment plan?

If you miss a payment on your ATO payment plan, it will default.

If a payment arrangement defaults, then the ATO can deploy its debt collection powers to recoup your tax debt, such as a garnishee notice or director penalty notice, or by taking steps to wind up your company or make you bankrupt.

However, in many cases it is possible to renegotiate your payment arrangement to establish new terms that better suit your needs. For this reason, it is critical to engage with the ATO if you foresee that you will miss a payment on your payment plan.