Are you aware of the implications of linking your MyGov account with the ATO?

Although the new features of linking your MyGov account with the ATO are convenient to you, it ensures that your Accountant no longer receives paper or email based information regarding your tax situation. Find out below how to prevent this by following a few easy steps. 

MyGov is the portal that enables Australians to access a variety of services such as Medicare, Centrelink, Veterans Affairs and the ATO. Since its roll out in 2013, it has gained a tremendous numbers of users. However, the ATO  have admitted they didn’t work closely enough with Accountants before the roll out of MyGov.

We have noticed a number of clients have linked their MyGov and ATO accounts, which means information such as; Notices of Assessments, Statements of Accounts, Confirmation and Reminder Notifications and Activity Instalments all get sent to your MyGov inbox. Although linking your accounts may be convenient for you and the ATO, it does cut your accountant out of the loop and that means we can no longer be proactive as we no longer receive paper-based notifications about your tax matters from the ATO.

This problem can further escalate if you are not checking your MyGov inbox on a regular basis. We do have the ability to see notices within the Tax Agent Portal, however there is often a substantial delay between the time it arrives in your inbox versus when we can see it. This means we will not be kept abreast of all your taxation affairs.

You can opt to receive email alerts or an SMS notification each time you get a new message in your inbox, so you know to check your messages. To change your inbox notification preference, log into your MyGov account, select the ‘Settings’ icon and go to the ‘Inbox Preferences’ tab. Our preference would be for you to unlink your MyGov and ATO accounts altogether to allow us to properly manage your taxation affairs.

To remove the ATO from your MyGov account:

1. Login to your MyGov Account.
2. Go to the services page.
3. Select the unlink icon next to the ATO service.

Alternatively, you can phone the ATO on 13 28 61 and request them to remove the link between your MyGov account and the ATO so that your notices will be sent directly to us. You will also need to ensure that our address is the main listed address which is PO Box 8, Bundaberg, QLD 4670.

If you wish to keep your MyGov and ATO account linked, please ensure to forward any correspondence to The Money Edge and let us know so that we can make a note against your tax matters. 

If you do not have a MyGov account, your mail preference and delivery methods will remain unchanged and no furhter action is required. 

If you have any queries, please don't hesitate to contact our office on 07 4151 8898.

The Money Edge Team