The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) continues to see increased demand for the dedicated and tailored support provided each year to make tax and super as easy as possible for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
“Our Indigenous Helpline staff receive specific training tailored to meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The helpline is central to the support we offer, answering over 39,000 calls last year,” Assistant Commissioner Karen Foat said.
“This year we expect a record number of calls, as people turn to remote support services during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“The helpline provides direct support on tax and super issues for those people that may be unable to use online resources,” Ms Foat said.
Tax Help service
“Our Tax Help service also provides confidence to many in completing their tax return, something they may not have felt they had the knowledge to do on their own.
The ATO’s Tax Help service extends to Indigenous communities. We are offering face to face support within participating community centres with consideration of state, territory and community COVID-19 restrictions as well as providing support online and over the phone.