CPA Australia has backed a new review of the Australian Taxation Office’s (ATO) Online Services for Agents (OSfA) and its secure communication channel, Practice Mail.
In a statement, the professional accounting body said that upgrades are “long overdue” for the platform, which it described as central to the operation of Australia’s tax system.
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Tax and business activity statements agents, who help taxpayers and businesses meet their tax and superannuation obligations, depend heavily on OSfA. The digital tools enable agents to access client data and other services including completing transactions and exchanging sensitive information securely.
However, the agent community raised a range of concerns about OSfA and Practice Mail during a recent consultation. Issues highlighted included inefficiency and limited capability to complete core transactions reliably.
The new review by the Tax Ombudsman will assess what changes are needed to deliver the functionality and responsiveness agents require to work efficiently.
CPA Australia tax lead Jenny Wong said that well-performing systems deliver benefits across the board, while deficiencies can rapidly create bottlenecks.
Wong said: “Digital by default only works when the digital tools are genuinely fit for purpose.
“When Online Services for Agents or Practice Mail is slow, unreliable or missing key functionality, the burden inevitably shifts back onto agents.
“That means more phone calls, more manual workarounds and more follow ups – all of which drive up time, cost and frustration.”
CPA Australia also cited a recent examination of the registered agent phone line that found practitioners often had little choice but to ring the ATO because essential features were either not available online or were difficult to use.
According to feedback gathered from members by CPA Australia, Practice Mail – the only secure messaging facility currently offered to agents – can also be slow and unstable.
This, the organisation says, hampers effective two-way interaction between agents and the tax office.
Wong added: “Agents consistently tell us they want to self-serve wherever possible, but self-service only works when systems are reliable, responsive and designed around real-world agent workflows.”
Wong described the review as both “timely and welcome”.
CPA Australia has stressed that any upgrades should be designed in close partnership with tax practitioners.
It is also encouraging members and other agents to contribute to the review with detailed accounts, examples and case studies.
Submissions to the review will close on 10 April 2026, and the final report is expected to be released in August 2026.
