We recently posted an article about running an SMSF and trustee obligations. Further to that, it has been confirmed that the ATO will never call clients directly to discuss their obligations.
This strongly indicates that such emails or calls are fraudulent.
The Tax Institute of Australia confirmed that the ATO does not contact clients to “verify trustee obligations” over the phone.
Any such approach should be treated as a scam attempt.
The ATO’s official guidance is: legitimate communication is made only through secure channels such as myGov, ATO Online Services, or formal correspondence.
They will never cold call to demand payment, request sensitive details, or pressure trustees into immediate action.
Vague references to trustee obligations, urgent tone, and unsolicited contact are consistent with known scam methods.
Please:
- Treat these calls as fraudulent.
- Hang up immediately and not engage.
- Report the incident to the ATO’s scam reporting line
If you are unsure about any communications from the ATO, please call us to check
