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Nearly 1,000 a week: the ‘dodgy’ behavior Australians are tipping off the tax authorities about
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Nearly 1,000 a week: the ‘dodgy’ behavior Australians are tipping off the tax authorities about

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According to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Australians provided almost 50,000 tax evasion tips in the 2024-2025 financial year.
In July 2019, the ATO launched its public whistleblowing service, encouraging Australians to report companies and individuals they suspect of tax evasion or other similar conduct.
On Thursday, the ATO said there have been more than 300,000 tips from the Australian public about tax avoidance and “other dishonest behavior” since the service was launched six years ago.

The tax authorities say they receive almost a thousand tips every week from people who know or strongly suspect that a company or individual is committing tax evasion.

What behavior have Australians informed the ATO about?

According to the ATO, behaviors people reported to tax authorities in the last financial year included businesses and individuals failing to declare their income, living a lifestyle that did not reflect their known income, or failing to report all sales.

But according to the ATO, the majority of tips related to the ‘shadow economy’ – economic activities that are not reported or taxed, such as demanding cash payment for work or incorrectly claiming business expenses.

The ATO said this behavior results in billions of dollars in lost taxes every year.
ATO Assistant Commissioner Tony Goding said companies that dodge tax and super obligations were stealing from fellow Australians: “freeloading on honest businesses and the rest of the community”.

“It’s unfair competition and it’s illegal. And if you get caught, you won’t just have to pay the taxes. You’ll also face significant fines plus interest on unpaid taxes and possibly even criminal penalties.”

Where did most of the tips come from?

NSW was the state with the highest number of tips in 2024-2025, at 15,907.

Victorians submitted 11,890 tips, with Queensland following with 10,630.

The ATO said while Sydney and Melbourne received the largest number of tips, of the top five regional areas for tips, the most were in Queensland.

Newcastle, NSW, topped the list of regional areas for tips, ahead of Robina, the Sunshine Coast hinterland, Townsville and Toowoomba – all in Queensland.

In which sectors has the number of tips increased?

The ATO said three industries had experienced a wave of red flags this year.

These were the building and construction sector, catering businesses such as cafes and restaurants, and hairdressing and beauty services.

“With tips often coming from customers, employees, other businesses and even family and friends, the community is clearly fed up with dodgy behavior and is stepping up to help us make things fairer,” Goding said.

What happens if the ATO receives a tip?

Goding said when the ATO receives information through a tip-off, it checks that information and assesses whether further action is necessary.
In the past financial year, approximately 85 percent of the tips analyzed by ATO turned out to be suitable for further investigation.
Goding said investigations were carried out by specialist teams within the ATO, who then shared information with partners from various agencies, including the Shadow Economy Taskforce.
The task force is an ATO-led joint agency that also includes the Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force, Fair Work Ombudsman and others.

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