More Australians are complaining about the conduct of Australia's tax collector, although most of those complaints aren't upheld under review.
Nearly 3000 complaints were filed with the Tax Ombudsman in the 10 months to April 30, a 127 per cent rise from the same period in 2024/25.
Most of the increase related to debt collection, penalties, and tax debt interest and payments, the agency said in a report issued Thursday.
"Complaints are most often about refunds being offset against existing debts, including debts that had not been actively pursued."
In about two-thirds of cases related to debt collection, the ATO's actions were reasonable, the agency said.
Tax Ombudsman Ruth Owen said that part of the reason for the increased number of complaints likely related to her office's efforts to raise community awareness of its service and how it could help taxpayers achieve fairer outcomes.
