I got a text from recoveriescorp. Is it legit?
Short answer
It may well be genuine. Recoveriescorp has been engaged by the ATO since 29 January 2024 to contact people about overdue tax debts by phone, SMS, email and letter. Verify it before you act: check your debt in myGov, then call recoveriescorp on 1300 323 495, the number the ATO publishes. Never pay through a link in the text.
Why recoveriescorp has your debt
The ATO refers some overdue debts to an external collection agency once its own reminders, letters and calls have not produced a response. It sends a pre-referral warning letter first, and if you do not engage after that, the file goes to recoveriescorp. The agency then contacts you to arrange payment on the ATO's behalf.
Referral is not the same as the ATO giving up or selling your debt. The debt is still owed to the ATO, interest still runs at the general interest charge rate, and the ATO can take the file back. Our guide to ATO debt collectors covers what the agency can and cannot do, and why referral usually means the ATO still wants you to engage rather than face firmer action.
How to verify the text in three steps
- Do not tap any link. The ATO's rule is that it never sends unsolicited texts with hyperlinks, and you should hold the agency to the same standard. If the message asks you to click through, verify by other means.
- Check your ATO account in myGov. Type the address yourself. If a debt has been referred, the amount will be there and you may see the pre-referral letter in your inbox. No debt on your account means the text is not about you, whatever it says.
- Call recoveriescorp on 1300 323 495, the number the ATO lists for individuals, or ask your tax agent to call 1300 352 593. Do not use a number from the text itself.
If anything does not line up, or the message threatened arrest, demanded gift cards or crypto, or asked for your TFN by reply, phone the ATO on 1800 008 540 and report it. The wider list of signs is on our scam or real page.
Contacted by recoveriescorp?
Free help confirming the debt and sorting out a plan that works.
Paying a referred debt
This is the part that catches people out. Even when recoveriescorp is handling the file, payment is made to the ATO using your usual ATO payment reference number, through the normal ATO methods. A genuine agent will not ask you to transfer money to an account in the agency's name, and certainly not to a personal account.
If you cannot pay in full, you can still ask for a payment plan. The agency can arrange one within the ATO's rules, or you can go back to the ATO directly on 13 11 42 and set it up there. The letters you received before referral will tell you how far the ATO had escalated; our ATO letters guide explains what each one meant. And if you dispute the amount, say so early, because a collection agency cannot review an assessment. That goes through the ATO under the process on our dispute an ATO debt page.
What to do next
- Do not tap the link; log in to myGov yourself and confirm a debt has been referred.
- Call recoveriescorp on 1300 323 495 (the number published by the ATO) or the ATO on 13 11 42.
- Pay only to the ATO's own payment reference, or ask for a payment plan if you cannot pay in full.
Related questions
Can recoveriescorp add fees or interest to my ATO debt?
No. The agency is paid by the ATO, not by you. The only thing that grows is the ATO's own general interest charge, currently 11.43% per year compounding daily, which runs whether or not the debt has been referred. Any request for a collection fee on top of the ATO balance is a warning sign.
Will a referral to recoveriescorp affect my credit file?
Not by itself. Credit reporting of tax debt is a separate ATO process that applies to businesses with an ABN owing $100,000 or more for over 90 days, after a 28-day notice of intent to disclose. Individuals not in business are not reported. Engaging with the agency and keeping to a payment plan is what keeps you out of that process.
Is recoveries corp a scam or a real company?
The company is real. Recoveriescorp is an established Australian collection agency and one of the agencies the ATO contracts to chase overdue tax debts, so the name alone is not a sign of a scam. What you need to check is whether this particular message is really from them and about a debt you actually owe. Scammers do impersonate both the ATO and its agencies, usually with a link to tap, a threat of arrest, or a request to pay into a new account. A genuine contact will match a debt you can see in myGov, will be happy for you to call back on the number the ATO publishes rather than one in the text, and will only ever direct payment to the ATO.
Can recoveriescorp set up a payment plan for me?
Yes, within the ATO's normal rules, and it is still an ATO payment plan with instalments paid to the ATO. If you would rather deal with the ATO directly, you can set the plan up yourself in myGov or by phoning the ATO's debt line, and the arrangement is recorded on your ATO account either way. A plan you keep to is what stops the file escalating to firmer action. If the instalments on offer are more than you can manage, get advice before you agree to them, because a plan that defaults counts against you later.
Contacted by recoveriescorp?
Free help confirming the debt and sorting out a plan that works.
Get help nowMore questions: 11 Calls, texts, letters and scams questions answered · Full guide: ATO letters & notices