Can you get me an ATO payment plan?

We can help prepare and lodge a payment-plan request with a realistic supporting cash-flow position. Whether the ATO accepts a proposed arrangement is the ATO’s decision and is subject to ATO acceptance. A well-prepared request backed by current lodgements is generally a better starting point, but acceptance cannot be promised.

Can you reduce or remove my tax debt?

We do not promise reductions. Any remission of penalties or interest is at the ATO’s discretion, and where there are genuine grounds we can prepare a remission request. The core tax debt is generally a liability that needs to be lodged correctly and either paid or arranged.

Will ATO debt stop me getting a loan?

Unresolved ATO debt can affect a finance or refinance conversation, and different lenders treat tax debt differently. Payment history, arrears, a current payment arrangement and account conduct may all be relevant. No finance outcome can be promised — the practical step is usually to get the tax position accurate first.

Do you handle insolvency or legal disputes?

No. We are Chartered Accountants and a registered tax agent, not insolvency practitioners or lawyers. Where a matter involves insolvency risk or a legal dispute, we will say so and refer you to the right professional, then coordinate with them where appropriate.

What if I have overdue BAS or tax returns?

That is a common starting point. We help bring the outstanding BAS and returns up to date first, because that is usually the precondition to any ATO arrangement and it often changes the real balance owing.

Is this confidential?

Yes. The first call is a confidential scoping conversation to understand your lodgement position, ATO balances and options. We confirm scope and fees in a written engagement letter before any work begins.

Business — Tax debt

ATO Tax Debt Help for Business Owners

Practical support when ATO debt, overdue lodgements or payment-plan pressure needs to be brought back under control. We start with accurate lodgements and ATO balances, then help prepare a realistic next step.

Book a Confidential Call See Our Process

Overdue lodgements
BAS & PAYG debt
ATO payment plans
Cash-flow planning
Business owners

Eternity Group Accountants provides business advisory and BAS services as a registered tax agent (TPB 25523469). Information on this page is general in nature and does not take into account your specific business circumstances. Engagement scope, fees and deliverables are confirmed in a written engagement letter before work begins.

Step one

Start with the real ATO position.

Most ATO debt conversations start in the wrong place — with the debt figure — when the figure itself is often wrong. The first job is to make the number real.

Overdue activity statements, unlodged returns and estimated assessments can inflate or distort an ATO balance. Before any plan can be prepared, the overdue lodgements usually need to be caught up and the ATO portal balances reconciled, so the position reflects actual liabilities rather than ATO estimates.

Income tax, GST, PAYG withholding, interest and penalties each behave differently and are separated out, so you can see what is genuinely owed and why. No proper plan can be prepared until the real balance and the lodgement status are both known.

Lodgement catch-up

Returns · BAS · IAS brought current

Overdue or estimated periods are brought up to date so the ATO balance reflects actual liabilities, not default assessments. This is usually the precondition to any arrangement.

Account reconciliation

Integrated client account · running balance

The ATO account is reconciled against your records so interest, the general interest charge and any remittances are understood rather than guessed.

Separate the components

Income tax · GST · PAYG-W · interest · penalties

Each component is identified separately, because the treatment and the options can differ across income tax, GST, PAYG withholding and the interest and penalty lines.

A real number

What is actually owed

The end of step one is a reconciled position you can act on — a figure you can trust, with the moving parts identified, ready for a realistic conversation.

What we prepare

Payment plans and cash-flow preparation.

Where a payment arrangement is the right path, we can help prepare the request and the cash-flow position that supports it. Whether the ATO accepts it is the ATO's decision.

Confirm the reconciled position

Built on step one — current lodgements and a reconciled ATO balance, so the request is based on a real figure.

Build the cash-flow picture

A realistic view of what the business can sustain while staying current on new BAS, PAYG and tax obligations.

Prepare the request

A payment-plan proposal prepared with supporting figures and lodged through the appropriate ATO channel.

Stay current going forward

An arrangement only holds if new obligations are met on time, so future BAS and tax timing is built into the plan.

Any payment plan is subject to ATO acceptance and to keeping current obligations up to date. The numbers need to be realistic — a request the business cannot sustain is unlikely to hold, and current and future BAS and tax obligations must still be considered alongside the arrears.

Tax × lending

How ATO debt can affect lending.

Because we also sit on the lending side as a Credit Representative, we see how unresolved tax debt can affect a finance or refinance conversation.

Different lenders treat tax debt differently. Some may consider a documented, complying ATO payment arrangement as a manageable commitment, while others may be more cautious where the debt is unaddressed. Payment history, arrears, an existing payment plan and account conduct may all be relevant to how a lender views an application.

This is general information about how the two sides interact — it is not a statement about any particular lender’s decision. No finance outcome can be promised. The honest sequence is usually to get the tax position accurate first, then have the lending conversation with a clear picture, rather than the other way around.

Where information on this page combines tax and lending considerations, tax-related statements are general only and depend on individual circumstances. Eternity Group Accountants is a registered tax agent (TPB 25523469). Mr Rohan Manokaran (Credit Representative 565110) is authorised under Australian Credit Licence 561324. Seek personal tax and credit advice based on your situation.

Our lane

Where accounting support stops.

We are clear about what is tax and accounting work and what needs a lawyer or insolvency practitioner.

We are Chartered Accountants and a registered tax agent. We help with lodgements, ATO account reconciliation, payment-plan preparation and cash-flow planning. We are not insolvency practitioners or lawyers, and we do not provide legal or insolvency advice.

What we do

Lodgement catch-up, ATO account reconciliation, payment-plan preparation, cash-flow planning, and the tax-side coordination with your lender where relevant.

What we refer out

Insolvency options, formal disputes, and the legal response to enforcement action. Urgent enforcement or insolvency risk needs specialist advice — we refer you to the right professional and coordinate where appropriate.

To get started

What the first call needs.

The more complete the picture at the start, the more honestly we can scope the work.

ATO position

Portal balances or authorisation

Recent ATO correspondence and, where possible, access to your ATO online position so the account can be reconciled.

Lodgement status

Overdue BAS and tax returns

Which BAS, IAS and returns are outstanding, and for which periods, so the catch-up work can be scoped.

Bank statements

Recent business accounts

Recent bank statements so lodgements can be completed and a realistic cash-flow position built.

Cash-flow position

What the business can sustain

A current view of income and outgoings, so any payment-plan request is grounded in what the business can realistically meet.

ATO correspondence

Notices and prior arrangements

Any existing ATO correspondence, defaults or prior arrangements — being upfront lets us scope the work honestly.

Finance timing

If relevant

If a finance or refinance decision is on the horizon, the timing — so the tax and lending sides can be sequenced sensibly.

Frequently asked questions

ATO tax debt — common questions.

Usually getting your lodgements up to date and reconciling the ATO account, so the real position is known. ATO balances built on overdue or estimated periods are often inaccurate. We separate income tax, GST, PAYG withholding, interest and penalties, then work from the reconciled figure.

Next step

Get the real position first.

Book a confidential scoping call. We will identify the lodgement position, ATO balances, payment-plan options and whether legal, insolvency or lending advice needs to be coordinated.

Book a Confidential Call Call 0414 825 388

Where this connects

ATO debt work sits alongside the lodgement, bookkeeping and advisory pieces that keep a business current — and, where relevant, the lending conversation handled by the same practitioner.