Motor vehicle data matching program

The ATO has obtained, or will obtain, data identifying all motor vehicles sold, transferred or newly registered in the 2011/12 and 2012/13 income years where the transfer and/or market value is $10,000 or greater from the following state and territory motor vehicle registering bodies:
  • Roads and Maritime Services, NSW;
  • Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads;
  • VicRoads Licensing and Registrations Operations;
  • Tasmania Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources, Registration and Licensing Branch;
  • South Australia Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure;
  • Western Australia Department for Transport;
  • Northern Territory Department of Lands and Planning; and
  • ACT Road Transport Authority.
Data relating to approximately 2.8 million individuals will be matched against taxpayer records to identify those participating in the cash economy, and/or those who may not be declaring all their income or deliberately avoiding their tax obligations. Those identified as being at risk of potentially skimming some or all of their cash takings, running part of their business ‘off-the-books’, or in other ways not reporting all their income, the ATO recommended they be contacted so the taxpayer can make a voluntary disclosure of any under-reported amounts. Ref: Government Gazette GN 44, 7 November 2012, p.2993