Appendix 8: Service commitments and activities
The ATO reports on a range of service commitments and provides information about our activities that deliver outcomes for the community. Our annual results are provided in the following tables.
Service commitments
Our service commitments are designed to assure the ATO and the community that the services we provide are of a consistent and high standard. Many of our commitments have targets, which are meaningful to our clients and challenge us to deliver the best possible service.
We regularly report on our service commitments. These are available at ato.gov.au/servicecommitments.
We did not meet all our targets for service commitments in place at 30 June 2021.
Service commitment | Target (%) | Achieved 2019–20 (%) | Achieved 2019–20 (indicator) | Achieved 2020–21 (%) | Achieved 2020–21 (indicator) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
General calls over the tax time period, as at 31 October | answered within 5 minutes | 80% | 79% | X | 84% | A |
Tax practitioner calls over the tax time period, as at 31 October – A total of 648,949 calls were answered, 13,131 abandoned (2% of calls offered) and zero calls were blocked in 2020–21. | answered within 2 minutes | 90% | 90% | A | 92% | A |
Average wait time for inbound general calls(a) | less than | 10 min | – | – | 06 min 04 sec | A |
Electronic taxpayer requests | finalised in 15 business days | 90% | 93% | A | 92% | A |
Private rulings | finalised in 28 calendar days of receiving all necessary information | 80% | 88% | A | 81% | A |
Superannuation guarantee employee notifications(b) | finalised within 4 months | 60% | 16% | X | 7%(c) | X |
Superannuation guarantee employee notifications(b) | finalised within 9 months | 90% | 88% | X | 37%(c) | X |
Electronic tax returns and activity statements(d) | finalised in 12 business days | 94% | 99% | A | 100% | A |
Electronic amendments | finalised in 20 business days | 90% | 97% | A | 95% | A |
Paper tax returns, activity statements and amendments | finalised in 50 business days | 80% | 98% | A | 97% | A |
Australian residents' ABR registrations | finalised in 20 business days | 93% | 99% | A | 99% | A |
Electronic Commissioner of Taxation registrations | finalised in 20 business days | 93% | 98% | A | 97% | A |
Complaints received | resolved in 15 business days or within the date negotiated with the client | 85% | 83%(e) | X | 86% | A |
A = Met; X = Not met; – = New, not previously reported in the annual report for the given year.
Notes
(a) In 2020–21 we trialled an alternate service commitment as an indicator of client experience. We are committed to providing a level of service that best supports the community and ensures access to our network.
(b) Service commitment will be reviewed during 2021–22.
(c) Service commitment result impacted by a backlog of superannuation guarantee work resulting from the movement of staff to support the government’s stimulus measures.
(d) Target applies to current-year tax returns only.
(e) 72% of complaints resolved in 15 business days, regardless of additional time negotiated with the client.
Service commitment | Target (%) | Achieved 2019–20 (%) | Achieved 2019–20 (indicator) | Achieved 2020–21 (%) | Achieved 2020–21 (indicator) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Electronic tax returns (individuals not in business) | inform if unable to finalise within 30 calendar days of receipt | 100% | 100% | A | 100% | A |
Private rulings | contact within 14 calendar days if request will take more than 28 calendar days to resolve | 80% | 93% | A | 90% | A |
Superannuation guarantee employee notifications | notification commenced within 28 days of receipt | 99% | 100% | A | 99% | A |
A = Met; X = Not met
Activities
We undertake a range of activities to support the delivery of the tax and superannuation systems. Outputs include information assistance services, processing and assurance activities, along with internal services for our staff.
Activity | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | 2020–21 |
---|---|---|---|
Number of non-digital, inbound customer service interactions | 9,996,161 | 10,525,162 | 8,883,652 |
Number provided of: | |||
| 51,584 | 53,191 | 53,442 |
| 5,285 | 4,126 | 3,977 |
Perceptions that the process was fair in: | |||
| 49% | 52% | 54% |
| 49% | 52% | 54% |
| 50% | 54% | 55% |
| 62% | 58% | 60% |
| 61% | 57% | 59% |
| 65% | 65% | 63% |
Perceptions that the final decision was fair in: | |||
| 57% | 65% | 58% |
| 57% | 67% | 57% |
| 57% | 61% | 59% |
| 62% | 58% | 60% |
| 61% | 57% | 60% |
| 64% | 63% | 61% |
Activity | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | 2020–21 |
---|---|---|---|
Number of registrations processed | 1.9m | 1.7m | 1.5m |
Number of returns, statements and forms processed | 334.0m | 358.5m | 317.1m |
Proportion of: | |||
| 88.8% | 89.8% | 89.4% |
| 88.6% | 85.5% | 84.6% |
Proportion of tax returns lodged electronically | 97.3% | 97.8% | 98.2% |
Number of payments processed | 29.7m | 27.3m | 25.0m |
Proportion of payments made and received through electronic channels | 98.6% | 98.9% | 99.2% |
Note
(a) Some items reported for 2020–21 (such as proportion of tax returns lodged electronically) relate to the 2019–20 tax year.
Activity | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | 2020–21 |
---|---|---|---|
Number of refunds issued | 13.6m | 14.6m | 14.8m |
Number of compliance activities undertaken | 4.3m | 3.9m | 5.2m |
Value of tax collected: | |||
| $533.1b | $537.0b | $580.1b |
| $426.0b | $404.7b | $451.4b |
Value of refunds paid | $107.2b | $132.3b | $128.7b |
Value of compliance liabilities as a result of compliance audits, reviews and other checks: | |||
| $15.3b | $12.7b | $12.0b |
| $10.5b | $9.5b | $6.8b |
Value of penalties and interest collected | $2.2b | $2.4b | $1.8b |
Activity | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | 2020–21 |
---|---|---|---|
Number of lost superannuation accounts(b) | 674,190 | 433,918 | 361,986 |
Number of ATO-held superannuation accounts(c) | 5.4m | 5.6m | 6.2m |
Proportion of member contribution statements lodged on time(d) | 97.1% | 99.4% | 94.8% |
Number of excess contributions determinations issued(e) | 192,357 | 181,068 | 161,375 |
Number of Division 293 tax assessments issued(f) | 233,030 | 228,668 | 278,942 |
Proportion of self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) with contraventions reported by approved SMSF auditors compared to the total number of lodging SMSFs(g) | –(h) | –(h) | 2.6%(i) |
Value of lost superannuation accounts | $16.5b | $10.3b | $9.2b |
Value of ATO-held superannuation accounts(c) | $4.0b | $3.6b | $4.7b |
Value of excess contributions determinations issued | $1.9b | $1.9b | $1.9b |
Value of Division 293 tax assessments issued | $730.7m | $667.7m | $829.3m |
Proportion of super guarantee compliance casework consisting of ATO-initiated work | 40% | 23% | 43% |
Notes
(a) Some items reported for 2020–21 relate to the 2019–20 tax year.
(b) For 2018–19, funds transitioned their lost member reporting to event-based reporting, improving the accuracy and timeliness of lost member account reporting.
(c) ATO-held super accounts include unclaimed super money and Superannuation Holding Accounts special account.
(d) Of those member contribution statements lodged by large APRA-regulated funds.
(e) Determinations issued in 2020–21 primarily relate to the 2019–20 year.
(f) Division 293 assessments issued in 2020–21 primarily relate to the 2019–20 year.
(g) For 2020–21, the measure name has been changed to reflect a new calculation method. For prior years, published results were based on total registered funds rather than total lodging funds.
(h) Based on the new calculation method, the prior-year results for this measure were 2.2% in 2018–19 (relates to the contraventions for 2016–17 as at June 2019) and 2.6% in 2019–20 (relates to the contraventions for 2017–18 as at June 2020).
(i) Relates to the contraventions reported for 2018–19 as at June 2021.
Activity | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | 2020–21 |
---|---|---|---|
Program 1.5 – Australian Screen Production Incentive – Number of tax offsets processed | 155 | 237 | 208 |
Program 1.7 – Fuel Tax Credits Scheme – Number of registered participants | 246,666 | 252,819 | 259,074 |
Program 1.7 – Fuel Tax Credits Scheme – Proportion of payments processed within service standard time frames | 99% | 99% | 99.4% |
Program 1.9 – Product Stewardship for Oil – Number of claims processed | 368 | 376 | 367 |
Program 1.9 – Product Stewardship for Oil – Number of participants registered | 45 | 43 | 40 |
Program 1.9 – Product Stewardship for Oil – Proportion of payments processed within service standard time frames | 95% | 89% | 87% |
Program 1.11 – Low Income Superannuation Tax Offset – Number of beneficiaries of entitlements determined | 2.9m | 2.8m | 2.7m |
Program 1.11 – Low Income Superannuation Tax Offset – Value of entitlements determined | $737.6m | $711.8m | $669.7m |
Program 1.11 – Low Income Superannuation Tax Offset – Proportion of original contributions paid within 60 days | 99.98% | 99.92% | 99.99% |
Program 1.12 – Private Health Insurance Rebate – Number of individuals with private health insurance rebate details assessed through the tax system | 7.7m | 7.9m | 7.9m |
Program 1.13 – Superannuation Co-contribution Scheme – Number of beneficiaries of entitlements determined | 376,398 | 393,154 | 391,812 |
Program 1.13 – Superannuation Co-contribution Scheme – Value of entitlements determined | $121m | $123m | $122m |
Program 1.13 – Superannuation Co-contribution Scheme – Proportion of original co contributions paid within 60 days | 95.8% | 97.7% | 92.6% |
Program 1.14 – Superannuation Guarantee Scheme – Number of superannuation guarantee complaints leading to: | |||
| 10,917 | 8,726 | 11,569 |
| 3,804 | 3,806 | 4,791 |
Program 1.14 – Superannuation Guarantee Scheme – Number of employees who have had superannuation guarantee entitlements raised as a result of: | |||
| 173,876 | 182,663 | 202,483 |
| 105,463 | 164,613 | 306,013 |
Program 1.14 – Superannuation Guarantee Scheme – Number of: | |||
| 22,236 | 16,290 | 17,051 |
| 15,965 | 12,273 | 12,264 |
Program 1.14 – Superannuation Guarantee Scheme – Proportion of employers for whom superannuation guarantee liabilities were raised by the ATO | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.3% |
Program 1.15 – Targeted Assistance Through the Taxation system – Number of interest payments processed | 520,274 | 2.67m | 1.41m |
Program 1.15 – Targeted Assistance Through the Taxation system – Proportion of unclaimed superannuation accounts where interest is paid to the account owner compared to total accounts transferred | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Program 1.16 – Interest on Overpayment and Early Payments of Tax – Number of transactions where an overpayment has occurred under Part IIB, Part III, Part IIIA of the T(IOEP)A | 337,356 | 480,852 | 240,155 |
Program 1.18 – Seafarer Tax Offset – Number of tax offsets processed | Less than 5 | Less than 5 | Less than 5 |
Program 1.18 – Seafarer Tax Offset – Value of tax offsets processed | $9.9m | $9.4m | $9.5m |
Activity | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | 2020–21 |
---|---|---|---|
Rate of unscheduled absence (days) | 13.6 | 12.5 | 10.5 |
Employee perceptions of senior leadership | 58% | 64%(a) | 62% |
Note
(a) Result from delayed 2020 APS Employee Census released in January 2021.
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