Australian business owners have a variety of tax relief options available through the Australian Tax Office (ATO). There are several ways small businesses (and their accountants) can reduce the amount of tax they owe up front, including concessions, incentives, and allowances.

EPAS comes in handy when you are notified by the ATO that you owe tax, since most people are unaware of the options you have available to you. Our services have helped so many clients get control over their debts and get control over their businesses and, ultimately, being there to help paying tax debt.

Is it true that tax debts can be disputed?

Your business' finances must be thoroughly and expertly audited before you can file a dispute with the ATO. We can assist you with this as mistakes and assumptions can exacerbate an already stressful and time-consuming process. There are several circumstances in which a genuine tax dispute can be brought against the ATO, including disagreements over tax owed, interpretation of tax laws, or disallowance of certain tax deductions.

In the event that our team and you identify an avenue for dispute resolution, we take the following steps:

Obtain evidence of the ATO's error: If you believe the ATO made an error in their assessment, you should support your claim with evidence.

You can dispute the ATO's assessment if you still believe it is incorrect. To do so, you should write to the ATO with your supporting evidence.

If a dispute cannot be resolved between the ATO and the taxpayer, the ATO can refer it to the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) for mediation. For assistance in resolving disputes, small businesses and government agencies, such as the ATO, can turn to the ASBFEO.

If the dispute cannot be resolved through mediation, the taxpayer has the right to appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), an independent body that reviews government decisions, including those made by the ATO.

If the taxpayer is unable to resolve the dispute through administrative appeals, they may consider legal action. Legal action should only be considered as a last resort after consulting a tax professional.

As much as possible, avoid involving mediation and beyond in the case. Legal action with the ATO can lead to extreme stress and not only be expensive (because you have to spend time on this rather than on your business).

The goal of EPAS is to assist you in resolving your dispute without further litigation by understanding how the ATO operates and assesses cases.

You can also receive tax debt relief

Despite exhausting all your options for bringing a tax dispute, if you end up with a tax debt, you still have options. The ATO is committed to working with you to reduce your business' tax owes - often to cents per dollar - in order to keep businesses open.

We are here to help paying tax debt! We are here to assist you in managing this debt, rather than panicking you when you receive a letter from the ATO telling you that your business has a large debt. You will be able to put your business in the strongest possible position if you look at how your business ended up in this situation and correct your course.