The Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) has announced that it is working with the Australian Tax Office, so they are aware of service providers such as dentists who receive payments from them for performing services to veterans.
The aim, says the DVA, is "to ensure that all service providers who receive payments from us are meeting their tax and superannuation obligations, so there is a level playing field for providers in our programs."
They are doing so by participating in the cross-agency Government Payments Program (GPP), and while they acknowledge that the majority of service providers act in accordance with the law, there are those who seek to exploit the system by:
- Unlawfully claiming payments they aren't entitled to, or
- Receiving payments while not complying with tax and super obligations.
The DVA is sharing its data with the ATO via the GPP enabling the Tax Office "to identify and engage with service providers not meeting their tax and super obligations."
Service providers who would like more information or assistance on meeting their tax and super obligations can call the ATO on 13 11 42 from 8:00am-6:00pm, Monday-Friday and you want to find out more about the GPP, go to Government payments program 2017–18 to 2022–23 data-matching program protocol
