The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused uncertainty in many parts of the economy and has led to what many experts term a “two-speed economy” while some businesses are recovering well, others continue to suffer from the effects.

If your business has had issues paying debts, or you’ve prioritised trade debt ahead of tax debt, it’s important to remember that it may lead to penalties and have a lasting impact on the business.

The best option is to engage with the ATO to manage business debts. Failure to get in touch with the ATO to come to an arrangement will not only affect the potential penalties imposed, but may also affect your business’s credit score.

Laws were passed in 2019 which allow the ATO to disclose information about overdue business tax debts to credit reporting agencies. The intended effects include reducing unfair financial advantages obtained by businesses that do not pay their tax on time, and encouraging businesses to engage with the ATO to manage their tax debts to avoid having those debts disclosed.

To protect taxpayers, the laws passed contained some safeguards. Not all tax debts can be disclosed, and even if a business debt satisfies the requirements for reporting, where exceptional circumstances apply to the situation the ATO may still have the discretion to not report the debt information to credit reporting agencies. “Exceptional circumstances” may include, but are not limited to, family tragedy, serious illness and the impact of natural disasters. The ATO will assess claims of exceptional circumstances on a case-by-case basis.

General cash flow issues or financial hardship are not considered to be exceptional circumstances, but if you’re experiencing these issues it’s best to make contact with the ATO as soon as possible.

Before any debt is disclosed to credit reporting agencies, the ATO must send your business a written notice setting out the criteria that the business has met and the debt information that will be disclosed. The letter will also outline the steps to avoid having the tax debt reported, which you need to take within 28 days of receiving the notice.

If you would like guidance on how this will work for your business, please contact us or email afs@afsbendigo.com.au.