ATO

[wheelinround]

Found a new payee on our online banking this morning ATO checked who payee is supposed to be just says ATO :? Yes I know ATO usually stands for Australian Tax Office. Tried to remove it......can't:no:.

Late this afternoon rang bank and asked who put it there?? "We did we are obligated to!!" ...ME " by who's authority??"..........them " no idea Government I think" :o ME " what you mean obligated to??" "I never gave authority to have it there":no:

Seems the Government and the ATO have given the banks the right to add the ATO as a Payee to all online bank accounts across the board, you can't remove them/it. They neither the Banks nor the ATO has notified anyone about this.

My concern is/was that ATO may stand for Australian tax Office but there is no indication that it does. Not being notified that this was taking place. That any body sitting at a keyboard may now access your account without your knowledge from ATO and have the bank pay them what ever they wish.

[NCArcher]

Hi Ray,
Only you can authorise payments from your account. (unless they have a court order but you'd need to be some sort of drug dealing underworld figure for them to get one of those.) The ATO already has access to your balance and interest details. If the ATO wants to put some money in my account, I'm fine with that.

[wheelinround]

Hi Ray,
Only you can authorise payments from your account. (unless they have a court order but you'd need to be some sort of drug dealing underworld figure for them to get one of those.) The ATO already has access to your balance and interest details. If the ATO wants to put some money in my account, I'm fine with that.

Tony I know they have access to check up but not put themselves in as a Payee and all it says is ATO now thats no indication at all whom that is even if you check (well with my bank) the further info.

Your also right I/we are the or should be the only ones who can authorise payments what worries is WHY no one has notified it has happened. Oh yeh I'll take what Gough got for 40 years thanks I am not being greedy I could aks for what Gillard and Rudd are getting for life.

[Pearo]

The ATO features predomintly in my list of payees :ranting2: Its all part and parcel of being a business owner.


Unfortunatly, the ATO is above the law and does not require a court order to get their money out of you as I understand it. They just issue a garnishee notice to your bank and the bank will take your money and hand it over to the ATO.

[Christos]

I know I have said this before but I will say it again.

The most powerful government department in the whole world Taxation.

[wheelinround]

The ATO features predomintly in my list of payees :ranting2: Its all part and parcel of being a business owner.


Unfortunatly, the ATO is above the law and does not require a court order to get their money out of you as I understand it. They just issue a garnishee notice to your bank and the bank will take your money and hand it over to the ATO.

I am on DSP not in business :~

[Cliff Rogers]

I don't have them on my payee list.

I do have them on my Bpay list but I put them there.

They come up a Tax Office Payments on the Bpay list, not ATO.

[Pearo]

I don't have them on my payee list.

I do have them on my Bpay list but I put them there.

They come up a Tax Office Payments on the Bpay list, not ATO.

Same with me.

@wheelinround, not suggesting you were a business owner, was just having a whine about my situation!

I just had a look at all my accounts, but no ATO payee or bpay that I have not added myself.

[KBs PensNmore]

The ATO features predomintly in my list of payees :ranting2: Its all part and parcel of being a business owner.


Unfortunatly, the ATO is above the law and does not require a court order to get their money out of you as I understand it. They just issue a garnishee notice to your bank and the bank will take your money and hand it over to the ATO.

If you don't have the funds in the account, they have other ways of dealing with you, ruining your credit rating:oo: DAMHIKT.:(
Kryn

[wheelinround]

Thanks gents either I have been lied to by the Bank or I am without my knowledge under investigation being on DSP no idea why though.:no:

[wheelinround]

Well in contacting ATO it is across the board for all account holders across the nation.

The lady I spoke to also agreed that my concerns were and could lead to problems if they start withdrawing monies without first announcing it. ie being on any SS payment and you go to pay such as rent and you have not enough funds in the account due to some dipstick at the ATO keyboard has typed the wrong numbers (its happened prior this)

This is hypothetical in part.........it hapend to us during the Aus-study debacle in the 90's our and many other kids lost their Aus-study never to get it back even though Vanstone knew she had stuffed up big time.

[Fuzzie]

I must be missing something in the paranoia on this issue. Because an entity is listed in the payee list on my bank account doesn't authorize that entity to direct debit my account, it just simplifies the process involved when I initiate a funds transfer to that entity.

In general the entities that ARE authorized to direct debit the account (for example the utility companies) don't in fact show up at all in the payee list. In fact I don't know any simple way in my online banking to see who are actually authorized to make a direct debit.

[wheelinround]

I must be missing something in the paranoia on this issue. Because an entity is listed in the payee list on my bank account doesn't authorize that entity to direct debit my account, it just simplifies the process involved when I initiate a funds transfer to that entity.

In general the entities that ARE authorized to direct debit the account (for example the utility companies) don't in fact show up at all in the payee list. In fact I don't know any simple way in my online banking to see who are actually authorized to make a direct debit.

Paranoia stems from a time when during Amanda Vanston's war on Aus-study payments when some dipstick in ATO used a code to define what work I was contracted for and it came up with an income far far away from what I was earning. :(( Two of our children and many others lost their Aust-study payments never to be re-instated all because of a stupid mistake at a key board.

Like my bank it maybe doesn't show till you want to enter and pay an account Fuzzie it can not be removed even the fellow tried his own account when I was speaking to him about the account.

As has been pointed out by others in this thread who have had deductions made thats scary.

What I found down right a breach is not one either the bank NOR the ATO or government has alerted informed the nation about the move.

ATO could have been anyone a hack possibly. How oten do you get emails and or SMS from banks which are scams ????

Could this be for a way to recoupe GST for OS transactions where GST is not paid??? No notification given just $$ removed from your account without consent or knowledge till you look at your statement.??? OR for the Co-payment of $7 when you visit the DR's

To consider that anyone in ATO has access and the power to remove funds from your/my account without knowledge or permission :oo:

[smidsy]

The only thing it will let you change is the payee nickname so I changed that to "W*nkers - DO NOT PAY" - and I used full spelling.

[Cliff Rogers]

Which bank are you blokes talking about? :?

I have accounts with Westpac & NAB & I don't have them on my payee list on either account.

[rustynail]

It would appear the ATO are very particular about how payments are sent to them.
Some years ago, my uncle, a retired bank inspector, was having issue with the ATO over an assessment. The ATO eventually saw reason and reviewed the amount owing but demanded instant settlement. My uncle dutifully wrote out a cheque on a piece of toilet paper and sent it away. The ATO refused to accept the "cheque." My uncle informed them it was perfectly legal tender and they could present it to the bank. He never heard another word.

[Pearo]

It would appear the ATO are very particular about how payments are sent to them.
Some years ago, my uncle, a retired bank inspector, was having issue with the ATO over an assessment. The ATO eventually saw reason and reviewed the amount owing but demanded instant settlement. My uncle dutifully wrote out a cheque on a piece of toilet paper and sent it away. The ATO refused to accept the "cheque." My uncle informed them it was perfectly legal tender and they could present it to the bank. He never heard another word.


Not sure about toilet paper cheques, but they ATO are fussy about the accounts you make you payments too. I have so many ATO numbers, Income Tax Account , Integrated Client Account, PAYG account, payroll tax account.... Stuff one up, they dont tell you that one account overpaid but they harass you with legal action if one account is underpaid.

[Evanism]

Hand written cheques are perfectly legal instruments.

The ATO wont need some fancy payee when it comes to the crunch. They will just take it and the banks will willingly give: http://www.forbes.com/sites/steveforbes/2013/03/25/can-a-cyprus-like-seizure-of-your-money-happen-here/

[Pearo]

Hand written cheques are perfectly legal instruments.



In this day and age of fraud, I doubt that very much.

[Sturdee]

In this day and age of fraud, I doubt that very much.

I still write out cheques regularly and they are always handwritten.

Further the Bills of Exchange Act of 1909 , as amended, (http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2012C00128/Html/Text#_Toc314677414) never envisaged that cheques could be issued except being handwritten.

Amazing that this minor fact learned in my youth when working in a bank can still be useful in my old age. :U


Peter.

[Evanism]

Away from the thread a tad, but cheques are just a negotiable instrument.

It is EXACTLY the same as you signing an old fashioned withdrawal slip and giving it to your grandmother to use while you're in Bali. As long as it identifies the account name, bank, branch, account number, has a date (all instruments expire) and a signature it is legal as an instrument. A cheque is simply a formalisation of this process - it carries a name and presenting conditions (negotiating/crossing, payee only, etc, etc) to ensure only your grandmother can fleece you.

You could put the details on a pizza box and a depositing bank must honour it. What the bank you give it to DOES with it is another matter... If might take a while to clear, but it would eventually. But you could take that pizza box to the branch it's drawn on and you have an entirely legal cheque/withdrawal.

I worked for a number of years in the forex, bills, bonds and instruments area of the CBA and worked with a huge array of stored value things most people have never heard of. It was pretty elite and back then, very yuppy.

Heres an example... You might remember your old office accountant would have a book of company branded and printed non-MICR cheques for "emergencies"? Same thing.

Present any of them now and all bank staff would just stare at you blankly. They have no skills and just sell set products. Monkeys with typewriters.

Their incapacity to understand the system they work in (or even what "money" is) is appalling, but their ignorance is no excuse.... So start saving those pizza boxes!

[Pearo]

I still write out cheques regularly and they are always handwritten.

Further the Bills of Exchange Act of 1909 , as amended, (http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2012C00128/Html/Text#_Toc314677414) never envisaged that cheques could be issued except being handwritten.

Amazing that this minor fact learned in my youth when working in a bank can still be useful in my old age. :U


Peter.

When you say handwritten cheque, you are not talking about presenting someone with something written on toilet paper however.


FWIW, I saw an older lady in the post office the other day, whilst I can be certain, I am sure she was using an old school bank book as per what you did before ATM's were commonplace and before fancy stuff like bpay and internet banking.

[rustynail]

The burning question here is, when does paper become toilet paper?
My uncle had a wonderful collection of photographs of "cheques" that had been presented to him by bank employees for validation. Provided they contained the necessary information they were passed. Much of his working time was spent in the gold fields, so some of these cheques were for substantial sums of money. In most cases, the issuer was well known to my uncle. As was he to the ATO.

[maggs]

A new payee appeared in my Westpac account today, ATO. Looks like they are getting ready to pounce. Lucky for me there's usually not much in it to take.:D

steve

[Evanism]

http://www.westpac.com.au/personal-banking/online-banking/support-faqs/online-banking-faqs/

"You can’t delete The Australian Taxation Office (ATO)"

Looks like they are going for a good old fashioned Cyprus-style smash and grab.

[wheelinround]

http://www.westpac.com.au/personal-banking/online-banking/support-faqs/online-banking-faqs/

"You can’t delete The Australian Taxation Office (ATO)"

Looks like they are going for a good old fashioned Cyprus-style smash and grab.

Thanks Evanisam that is I am sure new info since my phone call to Westpac covering their rear I believe its called :U......Now all we need is a Gov dept to tell us why.

[Chris Parks]

Not sure about toilet paper cheques, but they ATO are fussy about the accounts you make you payments too. I have so many ATO numbers, Income Tax Account , Integrated Client Account, PAYG account, payroll tax account.... Stuff one up, they dont tell you that one account overpaid but they harass you with legal action if one account is underpaid.

It is a real pain getting the right one and I am always worried I will stuff it up but so far so good. I haven't noticed if there is a strange one there or not and I have little interest truth be told. I paid them the outstanding this financial year about two weeks ago and lo and behold I got a cheque in the mail giving me back over twice what I had just paid. Apparently they are slowly going through all super fund accounts and repaying the government bonus that was on offer some years ago.

[wheelinround]

It is a real pain getting the right one and I am always worried I will stuff it up but so far so good. I haven't noticed if there is a strange one there or not and I have little interest truth be told. I paid them the outstanding this financial year about two weeks ago and lo and behold I got a cheque in the mail giving me back over twice what I had just paid. Apparently they are slowly going through all super fund accounts and repaying the government bonus that was on offer some years ago.

Nice so more tools bought Chris?

That would be nice if they paid everyone :no:

[Chris Parks]

No such luck Ray. I have a Hammer A3-31 I just took delivery of and I can't see me even thinking about firing it up for quite some time due to my ongoing health issues. I shoved it through the door and there it sits. The idea of woodwork or anything resembling physical effort is just that, an idea. Sigh...such is life.

[wheelinround]

No such luck Ray. I have a Hammer A3-31 I just took delivery of and I can't see me even thinking about firing it up for quite some time due to my ongoing health issues. I shoved it through the door and there it sits. The idea of woodwork or anything resembling physical effort is just that, an idea. Sigh...such is life.

You'll get there Chris :2tsup:

[The Bleeder]

Just checked mine...St George.....yes it was there so I deleted it.

Didn't complain or say that I couldn't, it just deleted it.

Will check tomorrow to see if it comes back.

[cava]

http://www.westpac.com.au/personal-banking/online-banking/support-faqs/online-banking-faqs/

"You can’t delete The Australian Taxation Office (ATO)"

Looks like they are going for a good old fashioned Cyprus-style smash and grab.

To be honest, my gut feeling says that something is well and truly in the wind. :(

[Cliff Rogers]

It hasn't appeared on either of my accounts yet.

[Evanism]

To be honest, my gut feeling says that something is well and truly in the wind. :(

#1: Big super companies will be forced to buy a certain percentage of their holdings into "government super bonds"... a BIG percentage, which will grow each year (or "emergency")
#2: SMSF neg gearing killed
#3: Depositors tax ... no interest any more. You pay to store cash at the bank. Banks are beginning to get hit with negative interest rates in the overnight bond and interbank exchanges.
#4: Direct confiscation of your "surplus" cash into GSB's. Have more than 10, 50, 100k? .... Leave it lying there for a few weeks and BAM! .... Certificate issued of course... just try getting it back as "cash" in a hurry. hahahaha!
#5: All SMSF funds will be forced to deposit most, if not all, value into GSB's with the promise of a "pension yield".

A titanic debt deflation is working its way through the pipeline. 1600 Trillion in derivatives are beginning to unwind.

The ATO is now there so theres no doubt as to who is confiscating what.

[DavidG]

Nothing beats speculation and rumor.
Defies all logic.