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Time to turn off paper from the ATO? New tech tools remove compliance burden for managing client communication preferences.
ATO holds firm on push towards digital-only communication
20 January 2022
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3 minute read
In a recent address to the Institute of Professional Accountants National Congress (November 2021), the Commissioner of Taxation Chris Jordan said the ATO are committed to continue the digital transformation of their services, and this year will be working closely with digital service providers to ensure interactions between practitioners, clients, and ATO services are integrated, seamless and accessible.
Australian-based robotic processing automation platform ATOmate is one of the approved digital service providers working closely with the ATO to help them do that, the platform’s latest feature designed to help practices better manage incoming ATO correspondence and in turn, get important ATO documents in to their client’s hands quicker.
Is your practice ready for the ATO to switch to digital communication?
Stan Corner, CEO of Business Automation Works, the company behind ATOmate, says the coming months will be important for practices to prepare themselves for the ATOs next update to digital communication.
“The ATO has committed to change, so it’s time to get set and implement the processes and solutions that will ensure your practice is ready for that switch to digital communication with minimal disruption to your team members, and most importantly – to your clients,” Mr Corner said.
Remove compliance burden for managing client communication preferences
Through its direct, authorised integration with the ATO, ATOmate’s newest feature is designed to make light work of updating client communication preferences – the settings that dictate how and where various ATO documents are distributed to clients and practitioners.
Those practitioners who have used or investigated the ATO’s current communication preference tools would know the process involved in making changes to how and where documents are received is difficult, complex and time consuming – with individual clients required to sign off on any changes.
Direct ATO and electronic signing integrations remove compliance burden for accounting practices
Through their comprehensive ATO and digital signing integrations, ATOmate’s Communication Preference Update feature is designed to help practices turn-off paper communications - completely automating the required compliance process and enabling practices to switch to digital only communication with ease.
“You’ve likely been on a paperless journey in some sense for while, but there has always been this raft of physical documents coming in from the ATO – now we have a solution that makes it easy for your practice to turn off the paper, while delivering a seamless client experience,” Mr Corner said.
The platform has teamed up with fellow Australian-based digital signing provider FuseSign to streamline the digital signing process.
“We’re really excited to be working with ATOmate to help accountants streamline this process,” Melissa Voss, Director of FuseWorks says.
“Combining ATOmate’s integration to the ATO with FuseSign’s user-friendly electronic signing functionality will enable firms to streamline a clunky compliance task, and truly move towards the vision of the paperless office,” Ms Voss said.
ATOmate downloads all ATO correspondence electronically, processing the documents seamlessly behind the scenes, cross checking data from the practice management system, and then presenting those documents within the smart and easy-to-use cloud-based dashboard for your team to check discrepancies where needed or simply approve and send on to the clients.
Using ATOmate’s new feature to switch to digital communications from the ATO will remove any doubt or confusion about what documents have gone where, and what might not have been processed.
“Accounting practices can now access important ATO correspondence faster than ever before, and they’ll be able to get those documents processed and out to their clients through their chosen communication channel, Email or Portal, with high accuracy and confidence,” Mr Corner said.
Tech tools save time, strengthen client-advisor relationship
Available now, the new feature will be a significant win for accounting practices allowing firms to easily manage incoming correspondence, streamline communications, and strengthen the client-advisor relationship.
With the ATO committed to its digital transformation projects in the immediate future, ATOmate’s new communication preference feature is another step on the platform’s journey in helping tax agents and the ATO become more streamlined, integrated and data-driven, ultimately enabling greater trust and confidence between the regulatory agency, practitioners, and clients.
ATOmate’s integrated client communication update feature is available now. To find out more about how the ATOmate platform is transforming how accountants manage the ATO documents and client communications, click here.
- ATO holds firm on push towards digital-only communication
- Tax agents can prepare now by stopping paper correspondence
- ATOmate platform streamlines compliance processes, allows firms to update communication preferences in bulk & shift to digital communication
- More digital transformation to come, now is the time for practitioners to prepare.
