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The Little CFO Legal® is an Australian Law Practice delivering candid legal counsel for:
🔸Privately owned & wealthy groups
🔸Accounting firms
🔸Boards

🔎 The Tax is reviewing the ATO's administration of Director Penalty Notices and is seeking feedback from directors...
02/09/2026

🔎 The Tax is reviewing the ATO's administration of Director Penalty Notices and is seeking feedback from directors and tax professionals. Areas of focus include:

- ATO communications

- ATO decision-making processes

- ATO treatment of directors

- Directors facing vulnerable circumstances (including illness, coerced directorships, and financial abuse)

- Impacts on small business

🔷 BACKGROUND 🔷

The issued more than 84,000 DPNs in 2024-25, a 136% increase on the previous financial year. The Ombudsman has now commenced a review into the ATO's administration of DPNs.

The review will examine whether the ATO's use of DPNs is fair, effective, and supported by appropriate safeguards, while balancing the need to protect public revenue and employee entitlements.

🔷 PARTICIPATE IN THE REVIEW 🔷

Close date: 29 September 2026

Details here: https://taxombudsman.gov.au/reviews_reports/review-atos-administration-of-director-penalty-notices/

🔷 STEPS TO TAKE NOW 🔷

A DPN is rarely just a company tax debt issue. It indicates broader risks affecting the director personally and the wider client group, potentially impacting financing arrangements, restructuring plans, succession strategies, and future business decisions.

- Review your client base for accumulations of ATO debt and poor compliance;

- Remind relevant clients that company tax liabilities and super obligations can quickly become a personal issue for directors, particularly where ATO firmer action warnings have been issued or are anticipated.

- Have an action plan: Where a client receives a DPN, early advice is critical to understanding the director's position, available options, and potential exposure. Choose your complimentary discovery session here:

🔷 Advisers: https://calendly.com/tlc-legal/15minphone

🔷 Clients: https://calendly.com/tlc-legal/15-minute-discovery-call-new-enquiry



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Source: Tax Ombudsman, ATO director penalty powers in focus (1 September 2026) and Review: ATO's administration of Director Penalty Notices, accessed 2 September 2026.

ℹ️ The Tax Practitioners Board has issued a new Guidance Statement highlighting the ongoing obligations that regis...
02/09/2026

ℹ️ The Tax Practitioners Board has issued a new Guidance Statement highlighting the ongoing obligations that registered tax practitioners must comply with under the of Professional Conduct when using AI in their practice, including:

🔷 competence
🔷 reasonable care
🔷 confidentiality
🔷 record-keeping
🔷 professional judgment
🔷 appropriate supervision and control.

The Guidance Statement explains how existing obligations under the Code apply when AI tools are used and highlights key considerations.

-- The TPB's view on AI use --

The TPB recognises the growing role of AI in the tax profession and is committed to supporting its responsible adoption, noting:

🔷 AI has the potential to increase productivity, drive efficiencies and enhance client service across the tax profession when used appropriately

🔷 We want to support tax practitioners in embracing the benefits of AI with confidence, while continuing to meet the high professional and ethical standards set out in the Code.

The Guidance Statement reinforces that AI is a tool to support, not replace, professional judgement.

Tax practitioners remain accountable for the services they provide, including reviewing AI-generated outputs and exercising professional judgement to ensure they comply with their professional obligations.

-- Action to take now --

1 🔷 With AI functionality now embedded in many commonly used platforms, including Microsoft and Google products, accounting practices should ensure they have a *documented* policy governing the use of AI within their practice.
🚩This includes where you *do not* permit AI use.

2 🔷 AI governance extends past simply having an AI Use Policy. Accounting practices must align their AI Use Policy, Engagement Terms, and privacy documentation to ensure a consistent and compliant approach to AI use.

3 🔷 Get advice early! We support Australian accounting practices with improving overall professional compliance and operations, including coordinated updates to key documentation, training, and strategic planning.

Select your complimentary discovery session here:

https://calendly.com/tlc-legal/accountants-compliance-operations

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*Source: TPB(GS) 55/2026 The use of Artificial Intelligence and the Code of Professional Conduct - https://www.tpb.gov.au/tpbgs-552026-use-artificial-intelligence-and-code-professional-conduct

Reminders for 1️⃣Quarterly super contributions are ending:- From 1 July starts.- Employers must pay super each payd...
22/04/2026

Reminders for

1️⃣Quarterly super contributions are ending:

- From 1 July starts.

- Employers must pay super each payday.

- How to prepare: ato.gov.au/paydaysuper.

2️⃣On 1 July 2026 the ATO’s Small Business Super Clearing House will close. Employers using should:

- Pay your third quarter payment on time ;

- Download your records;

- Find an alternative provider.

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Are your clients facing ATO disputes?

We provide our referral partners with complimentary Discovery Sessions.

Find out more and lock in a time that suits you here:

calendly.com/tlc-legal

Online services for agents, family trust election ( ) and interposed entity election ( ) report now provides more inform...
21/04/2026

Online services for agents, family trust election ( ) and interposed entity election ( ) report now provides more information from elections lodged with the ATO -

For FTEs you can now see:

🔸the date the ATO received the election
🔸the form type – election made (E), variation (V), or revocation (R)
🔸for revocations, the election end year and election end date.

This is in addition to the existing FTE details:

🔹income year specified
🔹election commencement date
🔹specified individual
🔹date of birth.

For IEEs you can now see:

🔸the date the ATO received the election
🔸the form type – election made (E) or revocation (R)
🔸for revocations – the election end year.

This is in addition to the existing IEE details:

🔹income year specified
🔹election commencement date
🔹tax file numbers of family trusts
🔹income year specified in the related FTE
🔹individual specified in the related FTE.

This provides you with more details of the elections your clients have lodged with the ATO, including a clearer picture of when an election was lodged.

🚩The ATO has advised that, in providing this information, it makes no opinion that all the necessary requirements for making a valid FTE or IEE have been complied with.

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If your client is facing an ATO review, audit, or dispute, get in touch today.

Book a free Discovery Session with us:

https://calendly.com/tlc-legal

Always seek advice specific to your circumstances directly from your appointed professional advisor.

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Level 19, 10 Eagle Street
Brisbane City, QLD
4000

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