Cuts to public service sector jobs have been blamed for the difficulties experienced by taxpayers trying to lodge tax returns with the Australian Tax Office’s (ATO) new online tax lodgement system.
Customers accessing the new myTax system in order to lodge their tax returns online have faced inordinate delays and technical issues, which Shadow Assistant Treasurer Andrew Leigh believes can be attributed to the Government’s continued slashing of public service jobs.
According to the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), over 17,000 public sector jobs have been slashed during the current government’s time in office. Mr Leigh believes it is unfair for the government to expect ATO staff to roll out new systems with fewer bodies available to help manage the process.
“It’s just another example of how short-sighted public service cuts end up affecting people,” said Mr Leigh. “They don’t just affect public servants, the 4,700 people who’ve lost their jobs, but they end up affecting the millions of Australians that will be looking to file their tax returns over the course of the coming months.”
The ATO’s Second Commissioner Geoff Leeper apologised for the technical issues, and expressed disappointment that people were experiencing issues with the new tax lodgement system.
In order to bypass these difficulties, Mr Leeper suggests that customers put off lodging their returns until August.
“If it’s not urgent for you to lodge now, we suggest that you wait until August when there will be more pre-fill data available,” said Mr Leeper.
The ATO has asked its customers to exercise patience whilst it rectifies its new online lodgement system.
Have you been inconvenienced by this new online lodgement system? Do you feel that the new system should have been put through its paces prior to tax time? Do you believe the government cuts to ATO staff are responsible for this issue, or should the ATO have done its homework before implementing an untested system?
Read more at www.abc.net.au
Learn more about the myTax system
