ATO and administration
myGov
myGov is the Australian Government's online account that lets individuals link services such as the ATO, Medicare and Centrelink. Businesses typically use separate online services for business.
myGov is a secure online account that lets individuals access a range of Australian Government services in one place. Once you have created an account and linked the services you use, you can sign in once and move between them. For tax purposes, the most important linked service is the ATO, where individuals can lodge a tax return, check the progress of an assessment, view income statements and update personal details.
For individuals, linking the ATO to myGov involves proving your identity. This can be done through a digital identity such as myID, or through other identity checks. Once the link is made, the ATO's online services for individuals become available inside your myGov account. You can then view your tax information, manage your tax file number details and see notices and messages from the ATO. Strong passwords and multi-factor authentication are important because the account holds sensitive information.
It is worth noting that myGov is mainly for individuals. Businesses use a different access path, called online services for business, to manage their BAS, GST, PAYG withholding and other business obligations. Access to business services is usually through a digital identity and the Relationship Authorisation Manager, which links a person to the business they represent. A sole trader may use both: myGov for their personal tax and online services for business for their ABN activities.
Many GST questions involve both personal and business records. A sole trader's income tax return, lodged through myGov, will include business income and deductions, but the BAS is lodged separately through the business channels or through an agent. Keeping these two sets of information consistent is important, because the ATO may compare the GST turnover reported on the BAS with the income reported on the return.
Security is a major concern. Scammers often send emails or text messages pretending to be from myGov or the ATO, asking you to click a link and sign in. The safest approach is to go to the official site yourself and not to use links in unexpected messages. Never share your passwords or codes, and be aware that the ATO and myGov do not ask you to confirm your details through unexpected messages.
If you use a registered tax agent, they can generally access your information through their own systems once you have authorised them, so you may not need to use myGov often. Even so, it is a good idea to have your account set up, so you can check what has been lodged and see your notices. Your contact details in myGov and with the ATO should be kept up to date.
This page is general information only, so confirm your situation with the ATO or a registered tax professional.
Worked example
A sole trader with $90,000 of income logs into myGov, opens the linked ATO service and checks that their income statement matches records. They then lodge the personal tax return. Separately, they log into online services for business to lodge a quarterly BAS reporting $3,300 of GST on sales and $1,100 of credits, a net payment of $2,200, showing that two different channels serve two different purposes.
Practical tips
- Use myGov for personal tax matters and online services for business for BAS and business obligations.
- Turn on multi-factor authentication and never click sign-in links in unexpected messages.
- Keep your contact details current in myGov and with the ATO.