Is this ATO call real? How to check in 60 seconds

The 60-second check

1. Say you will call back and hang up (10 seconds). A genuine ATO officer expects this. Someone who insists you stay on the line has already failed the test.
2. Open the ATO app and choose verify call (30 seconds). Log in and select the verify call option. The ATO says a notification will confirm a genuine call within 30 seconds. No notification means treat the call as a scam.
3. Look at your ATO account in myGov (20 seconds). Type the address yourself. If the caller mentioned a debt, an overdue BAS or a payment plan, it will be visible. If your account is clear, the call was not real.

If you still want certainty, phone 13 11 42 and ask whether the ATO has been trying to contact you. That call is free from landlines and is the same lodge and pay line you would use to arrange a payment plan anyway.

Instant fails: the call is a scam if the caller

• Threatens arrest, a warrant, deportation or police at your door.
• Tells you not to hang up or not to speak to anyone else.
• Asks for gift cards, cryptocurrency, cash, or a transfer to a personal or overseas account.
• Says your TFN will be cancelled or suspended.
• Is a recording. The ATO does not make unsolicited robocalls.
• Asks you to read out your full TFN, myGov password or card number to prove who you are.
• Offers a refund you were not expecting and needs your bank details to release it.

The real ATO escalates in writing through the sequence on our ATO letters guide: reminders, warning letters, then formal notices like a garnishee or a director penalty notice. It does not go from nothing to arrest in one phone call.

If the call was real

A genuine call means the ATO has moved past reminders and wants to talk. That is usually good news, because engaging is what stops firmer action. When you call back:

• Have your TFN or ABN ready and be prepared to answer identity questions.
• Ask what is owed, what is overdue, and whether any formal notice has been issued.
• If you cannot pay in full, ask about a payment plan. Debts up to $200,000 can usually be arranged on the call or online.

Our page on what to say when you call the ATO gives a script. If the call came from recoveriescorp rather than the ATO, read how ATO debt collectors work, because payment still goes to the ATO's own reference, never to the agency's account.

What to do next

1. Hang up, then use the verify call feature in the ATO app.
2. Check your account in myGov for the debt the caller described.
3. Call 13 11 42 to confirm, and ask about a payment plan if the debt is real.

More questions: 11 Calls, texts, letters and scams questions answered · Full guide: ATO letters & notices