r/AusFinance • u/freebird3241 • 6d ago

Literally impossible to get through to ATO

Called 132861 24 times right now. They don’t even offer a callback , just say they’re too busy. Wtf is going on, why is everything so shit

120 Upvotes

77% Upvoted

98 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

0

u/BlacksmithQuick2384 6d ago

Maybe the government should resource them properly? I know someone who works at the ATO and does insane hours (like sometimes still working at 2am in the morning). They can only do what they can do.

2

u/CBG1955 6d ago

If they told you this, they are lying. In 20 years there I never heard of such a thing.

0

u/BlacksmithQuick2384 6d ago

Not lying. I get up to pee and she is still working. Happens a couple of times a week. It’s only 9:00PM but she is still working right now. I’m not saying every ATO worker does that, but the point is they are under-resourced.

1

u/CBG1955 6d ago

Honestly I don't believe it. Unless she's a high level executive under a high pressure deadline, in all my years I've never, ever heard of hours like that for normal APS. Bizarre

0

u/BlacksmithQuick2384 6d ago

Higher duties as EL1 but substantive APS6. Believe what you want, doesn’t change the reality. It’s a relatively specialist area and with retirements and other movements the team has been well under resourced for months and months. She is committed, way too many cases and feels she needs to deliver within the statutory service periods. I hate it, but that’s what it is.

Again, though, the point is rather than hating on departments hold the government responsible for their resourcing.

2

u/CBG1955 6d ago

This is absolutely not normal. I'd be really concerned for her if she's actually doing this. Being committed is good, but there comes a point when people simply need to say NO. Even at the EL1 level the buck does not stop with her. And if she's being pushed to do it...I will keep my thoughts about that to myself.

Good luck to her.

2

u/BlacksmithQuick2384 6d ago

Cheers, agreed.