Your client has ATO debt. Here's a resource you can send them.
In plain English
GetTaxDebtHelp.com.au is a free, plain-English guide to ATO debt for the people who ring you in a panic: what their letter means, what the real deadlines are, and what their options look like — before formal advice. We don't provide tax agent services and we don't compete with you. Where a client needs a specialist you don't provide (insolvency, restructuring, debt negotiation, tax-debt finance), we match them with one — or with your firm, if that's your work.
Why this site exists
Every practice has these clients: the one who brings in an unopened ATO envelope three weeks old; the director who didn't mention the DPN until day 18 of 21; the sole trader who stopped lodging because they couldn't face the number. The gap isn't technical advice — you provide that. The gap is the 2am panic before they call you, when they're reading forums and half-right blog posts instead of something sober.
This site fills that gap. Every page is written for a stressed business owner, not a practitioner: short sentences, real deadlines flagged, no scare tactics beyond what statute actually imposes, and a consistent "here are your options, here's what usually matters, get advice before you act" frame.
How advisers use it
- As a letter decoder. Client sends you a photo of an ATO letter after hours? Send back the matching page from ATO letters & notices — from garnishee notices to statutory demands — so they arrive at your meeting calm and oriented, not catastrophising.
- As deadline triage. The director penalty notice pages exist so a director understands, before Monday, why the 21 days can't wait and why a payment plan doesn't remit the penalty. That conversation goes better when you're not having it from scratch.
- As options framing before formal advice. Pages like can't pay your tax bill and small business restructuring lay out the landscape — payment plans, remission, restructuring, worse — so your advice lands on prepared ground. Clients who aren't sure where they sit can start with the what's my situation? triage.
Want your clients triaged by a specialist?
Tell us about your practice and the kind of clients you see — we'll explain how referrals work and set you up in one short call.
Referral partnerships
Two ways this works, depending on your practice:
- You refer out. When a client needs something outside your service line — a restructuring practitioner, an insolvency firm, a tax-debt-experienced broker or negotiator — we match them with a vetted specialist and keep you in the loop. You stay the trusted adviser; the client gets the specialist conversation quickly.
- You receive referrals. If your firm is the specialist — insolvency, SBR appointments, tax debt negotiation, lending — you can join the panel that receives matched enquiries in your area and specialty.
Either way, start via get help and mention you're an adviser, or use the form on this page. No cost to join a conversation about fit.
What we are — and aren't
- We publish general information only — no personal tax, legal or financial advice, and no tax agent services. Nothing here replaces advice from a registered practitioner.
- We are a referral and information service. Where we connect a client with a specialist, that specialist engages the client directly under their own registrations and terms.
- Editorial content is kept factual and current against ATO and primary sources, and is not written or paid for by referral partners.
- We tell readers, repeatedly, to get professional advice before acting. Sending traffic to advisers is the point, not a side effect.
Frequently asked questions
How do referrals actually work?
A client (or you, on their behalf) tells us the situation, debt size and location. We match them with a specialist on our panel who handles that kind of matter, and the specialist contacts them directly — usually within one business day. The client pays nothing for the matching; specialists engage clients on their own terms.
Do referral arrangements influence the content?
No. Pages are written from ATO and primary sources and say the same thing whether or not a referral ever happens — including things partners might prefer softened, like "a payment plan does not remit a DPN" or "liquidation isn't always necessary". Partners don't write, review or pay for editorial content.
Will you cut me out of my client relationship?
No — the opposite. Referred clients are matched for a specific specialist task, and where an accountant or bookkeeper referred them, we make sure the specialist knows the existing adviser relationship comes with them. Ongoing compliance work stays yours.
Can I link to or share these pages with clients?
Yes, freely — that's what they're for. Many advisers send a specific page (a DPN or garnishee explainer, for example) alongside their "call me Monday morning" email.