Commissioner of Taxation – Notice of a data matching program
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will acquire data to identify individuals that may be engaged in providing ride sourcing services during the 2016–17 and 2017–18 financial years.
Details of all payments made to ride sourcing providers from accounts held by a ride sourcing facilitator will be requested from a financial institution for the 2016–17 and 2017–18 financial years. Ride sourcing facilitators provide an electronic platform enabling members of the public to engage the services of a ride sourcing provider (a driver).
The data we acquire will be electronically matched with certain sections of ATO data holdings to identify taxpayers. We can provide them with tailored information to help them meet their tax obligations or to ensure compliance with taxation law.
ATO will obtain the following data items from the source entity:
■ Payee account name
■ Payee BSB
■ Payee account number
■ Date of payment to the payee
■ Amount of payment to the payee
It is estimated we will obtain records relating to up to 60,000 individuals.
The purpose of this data matching program is to ensure that taxpayers are correctly meeting their taxation obligations in relation to ride sourcing payments. These obligations may include: registration, lodgment, reporting and payment responsibilities.
The program objectives are to:
■ Promote voluntary compliance and increase community confidence in the integrity of the tax system.
■ Identify those individuals failing to meet their registration and/or lodgment obligations and assisting them to comply.
■ Gain insights from the data that may help to develop and implement treatment strategies to improve voluntary compliance; which may include educational or compliance activities as appropriate.
■ Obtain intelligence to increase our understanding of the behaviours and compliance profiles of individuals providing ride sourcing services.
■ Ensure compliance with registration, lodgment, correct reporting and payment of taxation obligations.
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 at data matching protocols.
The ATO complies with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s Guidelines on data matching in Australian government administration (2014) which includes standards for data matching to protect the privacy of individuals. A full copy of the ATO’s privacy policy can be accessed at your rights. |
See also:
■ Our privacy policy
■ Data matching protocols