myGov is a simple and secure way to access a range of Government services online with one username and one password, all from one location.
Once you have created your myGov account, you can choose to link online accounts including Medicare, Centrelink, Child Support and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
Recently we have had a few clients contact us because they have not received their Notice of Assessment or Business Activity Statement. I know this is the same for clients of other accounting firms as well.
Upon review we have found that these clients have set up a myGov account and have included the ATO as one of the linked services.
If you have set up a myGov account and have linked the ATO, you have agreed to receive ATO correspondence via your myGov Inbox rather than having correspondence come via your tax agent.
The types of ATO correspondence you may receive in your myGov Inbox include:
- Notices, such as your Notice of Assessment
- Statements of account
- Confirmation and reminder notices
- Business Activity Statements and Instalment Activity Statements
As your tax agent will no longer receive correspondence on your behalf, it’s essential you monitor your myGov Inbox regularly. The ATO state they will notify you by SMS or email if anything has been delivered to your inbox, however we urge you to access your inbox frequently to ensure you don’t miss important correspondence or payment/lodgement deadlines.
Once you have linked the ATO to your myGov account it’s not possible to change your mail delivery preference back to your tax agent. ATO correspondence will go automatically to your inbox unless you unlink the accounts. You may have set up a myGov account but not linked the ATO, in this case, your ATO mail preference and delivery method will remain unchanged and your tax agent will continue to receive, review and forward ATO correspondence as usual.
To remove the ATO from your myGov account:
- Go to the Services page
- Select the unlink icon next to the ATO service you wish to remove.
Unlinking the ATO service means you will no longer be able to use your ATO online account, and the previous address where notices were sent will be restored meaning that your correspondence will start coming to your tax agent once again.
If you do not have a myGov account, your mail preference and delivery method will also remain unchanged.
This article was originally written by Bec Mackie and appeared in the Australian Property Investor.
The information provided should not be considered personal financial advice as it is intended to provide general advice only. The content has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situations or needs. You should seek personal financial advice before making any financial or investment decisions.