PwC’s assessment of the ATO’s 2016 digital meltdown indicated the exact cause of the mass failure couldn’t be determined, creating a “residual risk” of another meltdown for tax agents.
The details of the report validate the concerns of the tax professionals community about the stability and resilience of ATO infrastructure, Mr Conway told Accountants Daily.
“We have and will continue to be very vocal in ensuring the vital role that tax agents play in the tax system and their reliance on stable information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure is acknowledged and validated through clear accountability measures,” Mr Conway said.
“This report signals a need for significant investment in the server infrastructure to build fundamental confidence in the resilience of the ATO systems,” he said.
The ATO is currently doing private beta testing for its new portals, which have so far been well received by the professional test groups.
“It’s a modern version of the portal, it’s got a dashboard and a more modern feel, it’s not clunky or old fashioned,” the IPA’s Tony Greco told Accountants Daily late last year.
In saying that, Mr Greco pointed out that tax professionals are “not asking for much” in terms of digital infrastructure.
“They will be happy to use the new services as long as stability is assured, that will keep a lot of the profession happy. Stability is not a lot to ask,” he said.
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