Taxman told to tone it down and cut jargon from letters
A ombudsman says that an ombudsman, the tax return is stressful enough without receiving jargon -filled letters.
The Australian Tax Office sends more than 140 million letters and messages to Australians every year using approximately 3000 correspondence templates.
However, a tax ombudsman examining the six templates widely used found that many people still find some letters confusing or very technical, and that their shades could cause unnecessary stress and anxiety.
“We all received a letter from ATO at some point and wondered what happened on earth, R Ruth Owen said.
“ATO focuses on what the taxpayer wants to say without thinking about how to read or interpret the letter, not what the taxpayer should know.”
Owen said that the direct language used can sometimes seem to be threatening, and that the reader may feel guilty or appointed the crime ”.
The report refers to the 2023 campaign to the buyers, which Andrew Wilkie, a toned independent federal deputy Andrew Wilkie, described as “more than the smell of Robodebt”.
ATO was ultimately forced to pause the campaign.
He explained that the sampling of the letters examined assumes that ATO has good technical tax information, English competence and understands all the terms used.
Drawing the analytical skills of a straight language expert, the 44 -page report concluded that ATO’s letters were missing empathy for the reader in some cases.
Some of the ATO letters exhibited long, complex sentence structures and showed how they reduced readability, ”he said.
Ombudsman added that letters can open language and terms that can better support various viewers, first nations and disabled people culturally and linguistic.
Comprehensive examination found that the letters did not always go to the right taxpayer.
He advised the office to work better with taxpayers and tax representatives to ensure that the letters are sent to the right address.
ATO accepted four suggestions to develop letter writing by Ombudsman.
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