Tax law service
ATO Audits, Reviews & Objections
An ATO audit can disrupt your business. We manage the legal response and challenge decisions that should be contested.
Tax Lawyers acts for individuals and businesses through ATO audits, reviews and objections across Australia. The work is reading what the ATO has actually asked, deciding what is genuinely in dispute, gathering the records that answer it, and responding on your behalf within the time allowed. An ATO objection or dispute that is not in court is estimated at $5,500 to $11,000 including GST ($5,000 to $10,000 excluding GST), and your costs agreement states the estimate before the work starts. Send us the ATO letter and the first consultation is free.
An ATO letter asking for records can quickly become the thing you think about all day. You may be unsure what to provide, whether the ATO has already made up its mind or what the audit could cost you. We help you understand what is being examined and take responsibility for the legal response.
Our work covers the first information request through to a disputed assessment, objection or external review. We work with you and your accountant to establish the facts, address the ATO’s concerns and challenge positions that should not be accepted.
How we act for you
- Clarify the scope of the audit, the information sought and the dates that need attention.
- Review the records, contracts and earlier explanations so your response is accurate and consistent.
- Prepare responses to information requests, position papers and proposed adjustments.
- Identify and protect legal professional privilege where it applies.
- Prepare objections to reviewable decisions, supported by the relevant grounds and evidence.
- Assess settlement, independent review, Administrative Review Tribunal review or Federal Court proceedings where available.
An organised response, without leaving you to manage it alone
We tell you what we need from you, deal with the legal correspondence and explain developments as they arise. If the evidence reveals a weakness in your position, we tell you that too. You need advice you can act on, including when a negotiated resolution deserves serious consideration.
- Keep the original ATO correspondence and attachments.
- Tell us about any response date, assessment or objection decision.
- Let us know what you or your accountant have already provided to the ATO.
- Keep the underlying records; do not rely on a short explanation from memory.
Your initial consultation is an opportunity to explain what has happened. We will outline how we can assist and give you a written estimate of fees for the agreed work before it begins.