The ATO has hit a major milestone of over 300,000 tip-offs from the community about tax avoidance and other dishonest behaviours since 1 July 2019. In the 2024/25 financial year alone, almost 50,000 red flags were raised by members of the community who spotted something suspicious.
Most of the tip-offs received related to shadow economy activity, coming from customers, employees, other businesses, and even family and friends.
This year, Australians reported businesses and individuals who:
- did not declare their income;
- demanded or paid for work in cash to avoid tax;
- lived lifestyles that did not match their known income; and
- failed to report all sales.
The top three industries seeing a surge in ‘red flags’ this financial year are:
- building and construction;
- cafes and restaurants; and
- hairdressing and beauty services.
