This Strategic Working Group (SWG) meeting was held in Melbourne on 14 March 2023.
Key outcomes
Summary
Below is a summary of key outcomes. Note: The full key outcomes and any presentation materials are available in Online services for DSPs.
Strategic Working Group (SWG) 2023 Overview
A high-level overview of SWG was provided in the context of other ATO forums. The Digital Partnership Office (DPO) runs both SWG & DSP Architecture Reference Group (DARG) – the SWG covers strategy and the DARG has a technology focus. Other forums involve DSPs to support specific projects/programs or client/partner experiences. The DPO plans to work more closely with Digital Service Providers Australia New Zealand (DSPANZ) to shape SWG sessions moving forward.
Data retention & minimisation
An overview was provided on the ATO’s current position on data minimisation and retention practices. Common challenges between ATO and Industry were discussed, including balancing customer expectations, the cost of storage and security and legal requirements.
Conversations will continue in the future.
Improving small business tax performance (ISBTP)
An overview was provided of the ATO’s high-level roadmap for building different tax roles into natural systems for ISBTP.
The ATO will hold a series of engagement activities and pilots throughout the year to work through change implications and concept validation. Sharing early thinking will ensure stakeholders have context when making longer term technology decisions for integrated products and services.
Expanding the use of Single Touch Payroll (STP) Data
An overview was provided of the ATO’s plans to expand the use of STP and MATS data with the aim to create a transparent view of employees’ superannuation guarantee for all funds and all employers in the one place, enhancing the matching and storing of data.
Public messaging on expanding the use of STP data is currently being developed.
Cyber security & Third-party data breach response framework
This discussion focussed on reporting data breaches to the ATO in time to enable mitigation of risk to clients. Where personal identifiers are involved, DSPs should notify the ATO through Online services for DSPs (OS4DSPs) as soon as possible, preferably within a few hours.
DSP Roadmap
The latest version of the DSP roadmap was discussed with members, highlighting recent changes. The roadmap is available in OS4DSPs in Roadmaps and Schedules. Select ‘Watch’ on the page to ensure you receive update alerts.
Small change
An update was given on Small change and how this work will be managed in the future.
The DPO have engaged DSPs to work through plans to improve management of small change, including;
- improving visibility of items in OS4DSPs
- categorising small change items into clusters
- assigning a status to each item.
These improvements will allow the ATO to focus on delivering agreed items while giving DSPs confidence that all items are accounted for.
Next meeting dates
The next SWG meeting will be held online on 16 May 2023, followed by a face-to-face session in Sydney on 15 June 2023.
See upcoming engagements for a full list of engagements scheduled for the software industry.
Participation is available to those Digital service providers listed as SWG members for the 2023 year.
If you have any questions, contact the secretariat by email at DPO@ato.gov.au or lodge a ticket via Online services for DSPs.
No previous versions available.