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Property management – 2018–19 to 2022–23 financial years

Property management reports for 2018–19 to 2022–23 under the data-matching program protocol.

Last updated 20 May 2021

Property management data matching

Our property management data matching program is a new program. Under this program we will collect property management data for the 2018–19 through to the 2022–23 financial years.

One of our strategic initiatives is to unlock our data potential, improving the way we use data to build confidence and driving actions that maximise value for the ATO and the community.

This data-matching program will contribute to our 2024 vision of a streamlined and integrated client experience. We will improve services like real-time messaging and tools for taxpayer self-service. We know that these types of strategies make it easier for our clients to interact with the tax system and manage their affairs.

Most people do the right thing and take care to get their tax return right, making sure they only claim the deductions to which they are entitled. There is a risk that some taxpayers may over-claim their rental expense deductions in the rental schedule within their tax return in the hope of receiving a larger refund.

Whilst we understand that most people in the community do the right thing, it is important to remember that even small amounts of over-claiming by a lot of taxpayers adds up to billions of dollars each year, we refer to this as the tax gap and we need information such as this data collection program to support us in addressing the gap.

The data will be collected from property management software providers.

We will collect and match the data against ATO records to:

  • inform rental property owners of their taxation obligations as part of an information and education campaign
  • undertake compliance activity to protect the integrity of the tax system and ensure that everyone pays the correct amount of tax
  • inform designs that will make it easier for our clients to interact with the system and get their affairs right.

Our data-matching programs follow the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s (OAIC) Guidelines on data matching in Australian Government administration (2014). The guidelines assist Australian Government agencies to use data-matching as an administrative tool in a way that complies with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) and the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) and are consistent with good privacy practice.

The ATO has responsibility to protect public revenue and to maintain community confidence in the integrity of the tax system. Our data-matching programs assist us to undertake these responsibilities.

QC65693