Good news everyone I am getting a tax refund! But wait … I haven’t lodged my tax return and I actually have to pay tax this year!

Over the past few months I have received quite a few questions from people who have received emails from the ATO advising them they are entitled to a refund, I have even received one myself. (Image: My tax refund email, note the email address where it came from in the picture above!)

Typically the email will ask you to click on a link which will ask for a lot of personal information including bank account, credit card and password details in order for the ATO to process your refund.

The ATO never asks for information by email. In fact when speaking with the ATO often email correspondence is discouraged. The only times you can provide the ATO with your bank account information (no passwords information will ever be ask for by the ATO) is:

  1. When lodging a tax return
  2. Updating your details directly on the ATO portal (secure ATO website)
  3. Speaking directly with the ATO on the phone (not you will have to go through a lot of proof of identity questions to do this)
  4. Completing an ATO form and posting this to the ATO.

For more information see https://www.ato.gov.au/general/online-services/online-security/recognising-and-avoiding-tax-scams-and-fraud/examples-of-tax-related-scams/refund/phishing-scams/

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