Commissioner of Taxation
NOTICE OF A DATA MATCHING PROGRAM
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will request and collect names and addresses of employer entities from the following state and territory WorkCover sources for the 2011, 2012 and 2013 financial years:
- WorkSafe Victoria
- WorkCover South Australia
- WorkCover New South Wales
- WorkCover Queensland
- WorkCover Western Australia
- WorkCover Northern Territory
- WorkCover Australian Capital Territory
- WorkCover Tasmania
The total number of records Australia-wide is estimated to be 942,000 of which approximately 103,000 will be individuals who are employers. The data acquired will be electronically matched with certain sections of ATO data holdings to identify employers that may not be complying with their registration, lodgment and payment obligations under taxation law.
This program is called the WorkCover Data Matching Program and it enables the ATO to:
- Identify and address the compliance behaviour of employers who may not be correctly meeting their taxation obligations; and
- Be more strategic in its approach to determine appropriate educational and compliance strategies to encourage voluntary taxation compliance by employers.
The ATO may also disclose information about employers that may not be meeting their obligations under workers compensation laws if requested by the relevant WorkCover authorities. The ATO is legally able to make this disclosure.
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 from:
Special Purpose Data Steward
Australian Taxation Office
PO Box 9977
Civic Square ACT 2608
Attention: Nigel Coldrick
Reference: WorkCover Data Matching Program
Or by emailing: SpecialPurposeDataSteward@ato.gov.au
The ATO complies with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s The use of data matching in Commonwealth administration – Guidelines 1998 which includes standards for data matching to protect the privacy of individuals.