Commissioner
Jordan’s speech to the TTI 28th National Convention, Perth, 14 March
2013 foreshadowed under his leadership:
- greater emphasis by the ATO on effectiveness (not merely efficiency);
- earlier, more effective and more solution oriented consultation with stakeholders and consultants for tax policy and law design;
- implementation of streamlined and independent internal review of disputes and earlier and more timely, transparent and conciliatory dispute resolution; and
- restructuring of the private and class ruing systems processes to facilitate timely, transparent and responsive guidance but possibly with a fee-for-service arrangement if external independent advice is necessary.
This focus may be seen as responsive to aspects of stakeholder submissions and the Inspector General of Taxation reports on the:
- Review into the ATO’s use of early and alternative dispute resolution (released 31 July 2012); and
- Review of aspects of the ATO’s administration of private binding rulings (released 24 November 2010); and
- Review into the ATO’s administration of class rulings (released 14 March 2012).
While laudable, implementation will be challenging in such a large organisation and improvements are likely to be incremental only.