ATO justification for robotax expansion plan revealed by internal documents

Taxation office reasoned those caught up in controversial scheme could ‘directly seek a waiver from the minister of finance’, a process described as ‘discretionary’

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The Australian Taxation Office justified a decision to capture older Australians and those on lower incomes in a controversial scheme that resurrects decades-old debts by arguing that people could always apply to have their debt waived by the finance minister.

However, the debt waiver process – which is carried out by finance officials – is described by the department as “generally an avenue of last resort”, with debts “rarely waived solely on the basis of financial hardship”.

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