Commissioner of Taxation
NOTICE OF A DATA MATCHING PROGRAM
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will request and collect names, addresses and other personal details of individuals receiving Carer Allowance or Carer Allowance Healthcare Card Only from the Department of Human Services – Centrelink program.
These will be electronically matched with certain sections of ATO data holdings to identify entitlements to claim a Dependent (invalid and carer) tax offset under taxation laws. Records relating to approximately 600,000 individuals for each of the financial years 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013‑14 receiving the Carer Allowance or Carer Allowance Healthcare Card Only will be matched.
This program is called the Carer Allowance Data Matching Program and it enables the ATO to:
- Identify individuals that are entitled to receive a Dependent (invalid and carer) tax offset to expedite the processing of income tax returns and refunds
- Tailor education strategies to ensure individuals understand their entitlement to claim the Dependent (invalid and carer) tax offset
- Undertake compliance activities for higher risk claims of the Dependent (invalid and carer) tax offset
- Be more strategic in its approach to ATO business activities
A document describing this program has been prepared in consultation with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. A copy of this document is available by emailing SpecialPurposeDataSteward@ato.gov.au with a reference to Carer Allowance Data Matching Program
The ATO complies with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s Guidelines, The use of Data Matching in Commonwealth Administration, which includes standards for data matching to protect the privacy of individuals.