Future-proof your accounting practice

Explore practical guides, industry insights and customer stories to help your practice save time and work more efficiently.

ATO Communication of ATO documents empathy matters

Client Experience

April 14, 2026

Why Empathy Matters in ATO Communication and Why Accountants Are More Important Than Ever

ATO Letters Are Being Called Out for Their Tone A recent article highlighted a concern many accountants have raised for years — ATO correspondence can be difficult for clients to understand. The Tax Ombudsman has criticised some ATO letters for lacking clarity, empathy and tone. In some cases, communications were described as overly…

ATO Document Automation what the industry report is telling us

ATO Updates

December 17, 2025

ATO Document Processing: What the Industry Data Tells Us

ATO document processing has become one of the most time-sensitive workflows for Australian accounting practices. With increasing ATO correspondence volumes, rising client expectations, and growing compliance obligations, firms are investing in technology and automation that reduce manual handling, improve accuracy, and reclaim time. The Practice Protect Australian Cloud Accounting Apps Report 2025–26 highlights ATO…

Making processing ATO correspondence efficient

Practice Tips

November 12, 2025

Making ATO correspondence processing simple and efficient

Automation and digital tools have helped accounting practices to work smarter, but handling ATO correspondence efficiently remains a daily challenge. One of the biggest issues for you and your clients is the number of ways important ATO correspondence is received: posted to your physical office address or post office box, sent directly to a client’s…

Practice Tips

July 11, 2025

How Accountants Can Help Clients Stay Ahead of ATO Debt and Director Penalty Notices

Accountants play a crucial role in safeguarding their clients from the threat of Australian Taxation Office (ATO) debt and Director Penalty Notices (DPNs). With the increase in DPNs being issued by the ATO, this can leave directors personally liable for company debts. Why early intervention matters in managing ATO Debt The key to preventing DPNs…

ATOmate the Solution for the Missing IAS

Product News

May 7, 2025

The Solution for the Mystery of the Missing IAS

Navigating the ATO PAYG instalment (PAYGI) system can be challenging, especially for clients newly entering the PAYG system. Understanding the New PAYG Instalment System Challenges When clients first enter the PAYGI system, they receive a ‘You have been entered into the PAYG Instalment System’ Letter from the ATO. However, the ATO may not…

Practice Tips

March 19, 2025

The Quarterly Challenge: How Automation Transforms PAYG Instalment Processing

The Quarterly Challenge As an accountant or administrator in an accounting practice you’re no stranger to the challenges that come with managing quarterly PAYG instalment notices and Instalment Activity Statements (IAS). This period can be overwhelming, with the inevitable flood of documents from the Australian Tax Office (ATO), combined with the need to ensure…

Client Experience

January 14, 2025

3 Ways to Make Your Clients Happy

Client satisfaction goes beyond just crunching numbers and lodging taxes for accountants. Today’s clients expect more—they seek proactive guidance, personalisation, and simplicity in navigating complex financial issues.

Practice Tips

November 14, 2024

Be a proactive firm by managing ATO correspondence effectively

You’re a busy tax practice. This means you provide vital advice and compliance services. It also means you get a lot of ATO correspondence coming your way. While you’re busy doing the key work, ATO mail keeps coming. You can either bog down yourself or your administration staff with the paperwork and it ends up…

Personalised communication and client satisfaction

Client Experience

July 10, 2024

Personalised communication is key to client satisfaction and engagement

In the accounting industry, technical knowledge and analytical skills are critical. However, communication skills are equally significant. Communication is the backbone of any successful relationship. Effective communication goes beyond merely conveying numbers; it builds trust, creates understanding, and nurtures lasting client relationships. Without clear and regular communication, misunderstandings can arise and errors can occur. As…

ATO Enforcing debt and Director Penalty Notices

ATO Updates

April 29, 2024

Enforcement of Debt and Director Penalty Notices: Proactive Management is Key

As the ATO takes an increasingly stringent stance on debt, accountants and tax agents will need to be more proactive than ever. With the ATO strongly enforcing tax debt there will be a rise in the number of credit referrals and Director Penalty Notices being sent out. Keeping abreast of all correspondence from the…

ATO Updates

March 25, 2024

Navigating the New Postal Era of ATO Document Delivery

Are You Still Relying on Australia Post to Deliver ATO Documents? With Australia Post ending daily letter deliveries due to the decline in letters being mailed, the reliability of postal mail for receiving and delivering ATO documents has come into question. Postal mail will now be received every other day. Accounting practices need to…

Practice Tips

October 16, 2023

Protecting Your Clients’ TFN: Why Redacting in Your Client Portal is Non-Negotiable

As an accounting practice, you strive to protect your clients’ details, always ensuring that their sensitive information remains confidential. One essential piece of information is their Tax File Number (TFN). You might think that a document including a TFN within a secured client portal is harmless. Think again. Storing documents with TFNs in a third-party…

Practice Tips

July 26, 2023

Take Time to Simplify Your Processes to Ease Your Workload

While the thought of integrating technology to simplify your work processes might seem daunting, a small investment of time now can pay off with long-term benefits including easing your workload.

Practice Tips

May 16, 2023

How to Manage Your Clients’ TFN Information and Stay Compliant

As an accounting practice, you have a responsibility to manage your clients’ Tax File Numbers (TFN) properly to ensure compliance with the law. Failure to do so can result in investigations and penalties . In this article, we look at the best practices for managing your clients’ TFN and staying compliant. The Importance…

The Balance Between Efficiency and Effectiveness: Managing ATO Document Communication

Practice Tips

March 29, 2023

The Balance Between Efficiency and Effectiveness: Managing ATO Document Communication

For accountants, managing ATO documentation can be a tedious and time-consuming task. However, it’s important to ensure your clients are informed and compliant with the ATO’s requirements. Let’s explore the differences between managing ATO documents efficiently versus effectively, and how you can achieve both. Efficiently managing ATO Documents Efficiency in managing ATO documents may…

boost your practice by focusing on advice

Practice Tips

March 1, 2023

Boost Your Practice by Focusing on Advice

If you’re running an accounting practice, chances are you’re busy with compliance work. Lodging returns, sorting through historical data, and meeting deadlines can take up a lot of your time. However, your clients are likely looking for more than just compliance. Do your clients want you to help them grow their businesses? *…

Practice Tips

October 17, 2022

How to solve your staff retention concerns

Attracting and retaining good workers is hard. In fact, it’s so hard that 93%* of accounting firms are challenged by staffing requirements. But how do we fix this? While we know that everyone wants better pay and more people are looking for flexible work opportunities, there is an even more important factor. Workers want a…

Practice Tips

September 30, 2022

3 things you should be doing with your time instead of managing ATO correspondence

Do you know what’s involved in processing, reviewing, and distributing ATO correspondence in your office? If you don’t – go and chat to the person responsible for the task right now! Because it might shock you to discover what’s happening. It’s a clunky, cumbersome, and repetitive process. It’s prone to data entry errors, and in…

Case Studies

Client Experience

Bluebird Accounting

Bluebird Accounting implemented ATOmate to improve efficiency, enhance data security, and enable better client communication.

Client Experience

Kennedy King

Kennedy King Chartered Accountants had the BAW team implement ATOmate to automate ATO document processing.

Client Experience

Jovic Accounting

Jovic Accounting engaged with BAW to help automate the processing of ATO documents via ATOmate.

Put these insights into practice.

Cut manual ATO document processing by up to 90%.

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