This Strategic Working Group (SWG) meeting was held in Brisbane on 26 June 2025.
Key Outcomes
Summary
Below is a summary of key outcomes. Note: The full outcomes and Presentation materials are available in Online Services for DSPs .
Welcome and introductions
Members of the DSP SWG met in Brisbane (Wharf St) on 26 June 2025.
Elissa Walker welcomed members and guests. The group then covered matters of administration:
- Members were given an overview of the top four priorities that group will be focussing on in the year ahead:
- Artificial intelligence
- DSP roles
- Cyber threat and Data security
- Consent
Tax 3.0 – Digital Think Tank Insights
Members were given a playback of the Tax 3.0 workshop and discussion held at the April SWG. Insights from the workshop shaped conversation at the ATO’s Digital Think Tank held in May.
The Think Tank brought together key stakeholders from ATO, Treasury and the Department of Finance to explore the future of Australia’s tax and digital economy through the lens of the Tax 3.0 vision. The group covered topics such as:
- the evolving ecosystem and changing roles of participants
- how to better use data across the ecosystem and embed identity into transactions
- payments and reporting thinking.
The need to understand and define what OECD Tax 3.0 concepts mean in the context of the Australian environment was also a common theme.
ATO and Industry - Building common ground
Elissa introduced ATO Chief Information Officer and Chief Security Officer Mark Sawade who reflected on his time and experiences with the ATO so far.
On behalf of DSPANZ, Matthew Prouse provided insight into the role of DSPs within the broader government ecosystem and across the global economy.
Mark acknowledged the value of ATO and DSPs working together and the importance of open communication.
Small Business Future Tax Administration
Blueprint and Roadmap
Key Concepts and Deliverables
The ATO has been engaging early with DSPs as part of developing a vision and blueprint for a digitised tax experience for small business. This reflects the DSPs role in delivering critical change to the ecosystem to support digitalisation.
Over the next 24 months ATO will work with DSPs to co-design, test and deliver early initiatives. Focus areas include pre-lodgment assurance, prefill for sole traders, more regular BAS reporting and payment optimisation.
DSPs have also been invited to submit an EOI to explore how the ATO can assist with defining guardrails in relation to embedding guidance in software (rules as code). The EOI period has now closed.
Summary of the wholesale vulnerability assessment and group activity
Vulnerability Assessment
Members were given a summary of the ATO’s recent Wholesale Vulnerability Assessment, which identified internal and external opportunities to strengthen and improve governance, identity assurance, monitoring, and compliance to the Operational Security Framework (OSF).
Further work is required to investigate actions and conduct a risk assessment of the vulnerabilities and the group activity on the day focussed on two items from the vulnerability assessment – Certification (independent & self-assessment) and Sharing/Privacy of data.
Workshop Exercise
Members workshopped two items to identify considerations, benefits and barriers. This input will help guide ATO decisions to uplift its policy and conditions that underpin our wholesale service offering.
Members broke out into smaller groups for an interactive activity and provided answers to questions on:
Sharing of data – What are the benefits and barriers of implementing privacy requirements?
OSF certification – What are the benefits and barriers of reducing or removing self-assessment?
Payday Super update
While there has been no advice from Government to reconfirm policy and position at this stage, Treasury did release the exposure draft pre-caretaker period.
Super Guarantee
A comparison of what may be available in Wholesale (SBR), Online Services for Agents, Online Services for Business and Online Services for Individuals was provided to the group.
It has been identified that two new accounts will be required in relation to:
- Super Guarantee Charge for Payday Super
- Director Penalties for Payday Super
SuperStream
Planned improvements for SuperStream include addressing error messaging and introducing New Payments Platform as an approved payment method.
More information, including draft technical and business guidance, is available on the Contribution standard v3.0 page on the software developers website.
There will be no changes to the SuperStream Alternative file format (SAFF).
Single Touch Payroll (STP)
A high-level summary was provided in relation to progress of the STP technical working group, with technical changes still being worked through.
Other business
DSPs acknowledged the ATO’s efforts in getting AS2025 into production.
Three papers were tabled:
- Compromised ID
- Client Agent linking
- Digital Services Gateway
The next virtual SWG meeting will be held on 8 September 2025.
The next face-to-face SWG meeting will be held in Melbourne 14 October 2025.
Participation is available to those Digital service providers listed as SWG members for the 2025 year.
If you have any questions, contact the secretariat by email at DPO@ato.gov.au or raise a ticket in the DSP service desk.
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