Brisbane · CPA-qualified · Registered Tax & BAS Agents
ATO review or audit? Don't answer it alone.
Data-matching letters, work-related expense reviews, GST audits and default assessments — managed as your registered agent, with claims substantiated and responses drafted properly.
What should you do if the ATO contacts you about a review or audit?
Three things, in order. Don't respond immediately — the letter has a deadline, and a rushed or inconsistent answer creates problems that are hard to walk back. Establish exactly what's being asked: a data-matching letter about undeclared income, a substantiation review of specific deductions, and a full audit are very different exercises with different risk. Then respond once, completely, with documentation that supports the position taken. If you disagree with the outcome, you generally have 60 days from the notice of amended assessment to lodge an objection.
- We handle all ATO correspondence
- Substantiation packs assembled properly
- Objections lodged within the 60-day window
- Penalty remission argued as part of the outcome
Why us
What you get working with us.
One consistent narrative
Everything the ATO receives goes through us, so answers are consistent and nothing volunteers a problem that wasn't being asked about.
Substantiation, assembled
Log books, invoices, apportionment calculations, contracts and bank evidence organised into a pack that answers the question in the ATO's own terms.
Objections done properly
A written objection setting out the facts, the law and the reasoning — not a letter of complaint. Where needed, escalation and review paths are explained.
Penalties negotiated
Where an adjustment is legitimate, the argument shifts to shortfall penalty level and remission — which is often where the real money is.
Who it's for
Who this is for.
- Individuals reviewed on work-related expenses
- Property investors questioned on deductions
- Crypto investors sent data-matching letters
- Businesses under GST or BAS audit
- Employers reviewed for super or PAYG
- Businesses issued default assessments
- Taxpayers who disagree with an amended assessment
- Anyone whose previous agent's work is being questioned
Indicative fees
| Engagement | Indicative fee |
|---|---|
| Initial assessment of an ATO letter | from $390 |
| Substantiation review response | from $890 |
| Full audit management | quoted on scope |
| Objection preparation and lodgement | from $1,400 |
Scope
What the engagement covers.
Initial assessment
We read the letter, identify what's actually in scope and what's at risk, and give you a plain-English view of likely outcomes.
Correspondence management
All contact handled through our agent access, including extension requests where more time is genuinely needed.
Substantiation pack
Documentation gathered, gaps identified, apportionment recalculated and evidence indexed to each claim under review.
Position paper responses
Written responses addressing the ATO's stated concerns with reference to the relevant provisions and rulings.
Objections and reviews
Formal objections within the statutory period, plus guidance on independent review, the AAT and settlement options.
Penalty and interest advocacy
Argument on shortfall penalty levels, reasonable care and remission of interest where the facts support it.
FAQ
Questions we're asked most.
How far back can the ATO audit me?
Generally two years for simple individual affairs and four years for most business taxpayers, from the date of the notice of assessment. There is no time limit where fraud or evasion is suspected. Different periods apply to GST and to some superannuation matters.
What triggers an ATO review?
Mostly data mismatches rather than suspicion: income reported by employers, banks, share registries, exchanges and property records that doesn't match your return; deductions well outside the range for your occupation and income; business figures outside the small business benchmarks for your industry code; and tip-offs.
Should I just pay what they say?
Not before it's checked. ATO positions are sometimes based on incomplete data — a missing cost base, an unclaimed offset, a deduction they weren't aware of. Equally, if the adjustment is right, the productive fight is over penalties and interest rather than the primary tax.
How long do I have to object?
Generally 60 days from the date of the notice of amended assessment for individuals and small businesses (longer in some cases, shorter for certain decisions). Late objections can be requested but must explain the delay. Diarise the date the letter arrives.
What are shortfall penalties?
Penalties applied to a tax shortfall based on behaviour: 25% for failing to take reasonable care, 50% for recklessness, 75% for intentional disregard, with increases for obstruction and reductions for voluntary disclosure. Demonstrating that reasonable care was taken — including reliance on a registered agent — is often the difference between 0% and 25%.
Will using a tax agent make an audit worse?
No. Having an agent generally helps: the file is documented, the responses are professional, and reliance on a registered agent supports a reasonable-care argument on penalties.
Related
Related pages.
ATO Tax Debt Help Brisbane
Payment plans, penalty remission
Learn more →Tax Returns
Individual and business returns prepared accurately, lodged fast, with every deduction claimed.
Learn more →Late & Overdue Tax Returns Brisbane
Years behind? Start here
Learn more →Forensic Accountant Brisbane
Disputes, valuations, tracing
Learn more →Records and receipts: what to keep, and for how long
The five-year rule, the $300 threshold, what counts as written evidence, and the records that matter for decades rather than years.
Learn more →Crypto Tax Accountant Brisbane
CGT on digital assets
Learn more →Local coverage across Brisbane
We work in person from our Wakerley office and by secure video across 200 suburbs. Start with your region:
- Accountants Brisbane CPA accountants for the wider Brisbane metro area.
- Accountants South Brisbane South Brisbane, West End, Annerley and Sunnybank.
- Accountants Brisbane Northside Chermside, Stafford, Aspley and the northern corridor.
- Accountants Brisbane Bayside Wynnum, Manly, Wakerley and Tingalpa.
- Accountants Redland City Cleveland, Capalaba, Victoria Point and the bay islands.
- Accountants Logan City Springwood, Beenleigh, Browns Plains and 50 Logan suburbs.
- Accountants Ipswich Ipswich CBD and the western Brisbane corridor.
Ready when you are
ATO Audit & Review Support Brisbane — let's talk.
Free 15-minute consultation and a fixed fee in writing. Mon–Fri 9am–5pm AEST.