ATO Lawyers

Melbourne | FREE Assessment

ATO Says You Owe $280K. Before You Pay, Get This Checked. Get a FREE exposure assessment. Find out what you actually owe and your options.

(03) 8595 9580

Fear/Problem

The ATO Can Destroy Your Business and Come After You Personally

You opened the mail. ATO debt notice. Director Penalty Notice. Garnishee order. Now what?

Most business owners panic and either:

Ignore it (huge mistake - penalties escalate, ATO gets aggressive)
Pay immediately (maybe you don't owe that much, or can negotiate)
Talk to their accountant (accountants aren't lawyers - different expertise)

The ATO has extraordinary powers:

Make directors personally liable for company debts
Garnishee your bank accounts (freeze your cash)
Issue wind-up notices (force your company into liquidation)
Pursue you personally even after company closes

Time is critical. The ATO moves fast.

Types of ATO Problems

What ATO Problem Are You Facing?

Director Penalty Notice (DPN)

What it is: Notice making you PERSONALLY liable for company's unpaid PAYG or super.
Deadline: 21 days to respond (either pay, appoint administrator, or liquidate)
Danger: After 21 days, liability becomes personal and unremovable
We defend DPNs and negotiate outcomes.

Tax Audit

What it is: ATO reviews your tax returns, finds "errors," issues amended assessment.
Problem: Assessments are often wrong, inflated, or unfair.
We challenge assessments and negotiate reductions

Tax Debt

What it is: You owe tax but can't pay immediately.
Options: Payment plans, hardship provisions, compromise settlements
We negotiate sustainable arrangements.

Garnishee Orders

What it is: ATO freezes your bank account or directs customers to pay ATO instead of you.
Impact: Cash flow crisis, can't pay staff or suppliers
We stop or release garnishees.

What We Do

How We Defend Against ATO

Urgent Assessment (Same Day)

We review:

What you actually owe
Whether assessment is correct
Director penalty exposure
Deadline status
Options available

Engage with ATO

We don't ignore them. We engage early and strategically:

Open negotiation channel
Request payment plans
Challenge incorrect assessments
Defend Director Penalty Notices

Negotiate Outcome

Possible outcomes:

Payment plan you can afford
Reduction in disputed assessment
Release of garnishee
Removal of penalties and interest
Compromise settlement (pay less than owed)

Average reduction in disputed assessments: 67%

Fix Root Cause

If the problem is cash flow, business structure, or non-compliance—we help fix it so problems don't return.

Director Penalty Notice Deep Dive

Director Penalty Notices: 21 Days to Act

This is the most dangerous ATO weapon.

What happens:

Day 1: DPN issued (you have 21 days)

Day 21: Deadline expires

If you did NOTHING: Liability now personal and indefensible
If you acted: Liability may be remitted or defended

After Day 21: ATO can pursue you personally for the debt, even if:

You resign as director
Company goes into liquidation
Company has no assets

You are personally liable. Your house. Your savings. Your assets.

What we do:

Within 21 days, we can:

Appoint voluntary administrator (stops DPN)
Negotiate payment plan (remit penalty)
Wind up company (limits exposure)
Challenge underlying debt

After 21 days:

Much harder to defend
Personal liability locked in
Limited options

DO NOT wait. Call immediately: (03) 8595 9580

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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. ATO will negotiate payment plans, release of garnishees, and sometimes reduction of debt. But you need to engage properly with correct information and realistic proposals. We speak the ATO's language and negotiate outcomes they'll accept.

Options include:

Long-term payment plans
Hardship provisions
Compromise (pay partial amount in full settlement)
Wind up company (if truly insolvent)

We assess your actual options based on your circumstances.

Accountants are not lawyers.

Accountants help with tax returns and compliance.

Lawyers defend against ATO enforcement, negotiate outcomes, and protect directors from personal liability.

You need both. But ATO enforcement requires legal expertise.

ATO Problems Don't Go Away. They Get Worse.

Get your FREE exposure assessment NOW.

We'll tell you:

What you actually owe
What your options are
What we can negotiate
What it will cost

Call NOW for Urgent ATO Help

We respond within 2 hours for ATO emergencies.

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