A Message from the Keeping Company Team
Taking a few minutes to review and set your preferences will ensure you never miss a critical notice, assessment, or reminder from the ATO.
What Are ATO Communication Preferences?
Communication preferences lets you authorise your tax professional to tell the ATO where to send your digital correspondence. In other words, you decide whether ATO communications come directly to you, to your registered agent (such as Keeping Company), or a combination of both.
You can choose to have:
- all communications sent directly to you
- all communications sent to your registered agent
- some communications sent to you and others sent to your registered agent
If you want to change your preferences, simply contact our team and we will update them on your behalf – once you have provided us with a written authorisation (see below).
What Types of Correspondence Can Be Sent Electronically?
The ATO can send communications electronically across the following 6 categories:
| Category | Examples of Correspondence |
| Income Tax | Tax assessments, notices of amended assessment, income tax statements |
| Activity Statement | BAS notices, instalment activity statements, GST credits |
| Study & Training Support Loans | HECS-HELP, VSL, SSL, ABSTUDY SSL, TSL notices and statements |
| Superannuation | SGC assessments, director penalty notices, super guarantee |
| Debt | Payment arrangements, debt notices, interest charges |
| Employer & Business Obligations | Single Touch Payroll, FBT, PAYG withholding notices |
If the ATO cannot send a communication electronically, it will be posted to your registered address. The ATO will continue to expand the range of communications available electronically.
Important: Written Authorisation Required
| To allow Keeping Company to set or change your communication preferences on your behalf, the ATO requires:
• Written authorisation from you permitting us to act on your behalf • Written declaration confirming the information provided is true and correct You are required to keep a copy of your written authorisation and declaration for up to 5 years. We recommend you contact us to confirm the preferred format — this can be provided via email, fax, or paper. |
Note for clients with multiple agents: If you use both a tax agent and a BAS agent, you will need to provide a separate authorisation for each. Please be aware that BAS agents can only be authorised for activity statement and debt communications.
How to Check Your Own Communication Preferences
You can view your current communication preferences at any time by logging into your ATO Online Services account. However, please note that you can only view — not change — your preferences from myGov. If you need to update them, you must contact Keeping Company or your agent to make the changes on your behalf.
Individuals and Sole Traders — via myGov
| 1 | Sign in to myGov
Go to my.gov.au and sign in, then select Australian Taxation Office from your linked services. |
| 2 | Go to My Profile
Select ‘My profile’ on your ATO Online Services homepage. |
| 3 | Select Communication
Click on ‘Communication’ from the menu. |
| 4 | Select Preferences
Click ‘Preferences’ to view the current settings for each correspondence category. |
Non-Individuals (Companies, Trusts, Partnerships) — via Online Services for Business
| 1 | Sign in to Online Services for Business
Log in at business.gov.au or the ATO’s Online Services for Business portal. |
| 2 | Select Communication
Select ‘Communication’ from the main menu. |
| 3 | Select Preferences
Click ‘Preferences’ to review your settings. |
Viewing Your Communication History
The ATO’s Communication History feature lets you view most of your ATO correspondence online at any time — including any communications sent to your agent on your behalf.
Key things to know:
- You can search communications as far back as 1 July 2008, in periods of up to 5 years.
- Sole traders can only view communication history via ATO Online Services through myGov — it is not available through Online Services for Business.
- Direct communications between you and ATO officers (e.g. during an audit or review) will not appear in your history.
- The ATO will continue to make more communications available in communication history over time.
Action Required — What You Need to Do
| If you would like Keeping Company to manage your communication preferences on your behalf, please contact us to:
• Confirm which categories of communication you would like us to receive on your behalf • Provide your written authorisation and declaration as required by the ATO • Review your existing preferences if they have not been set before Important: If you log in to myGov, you can view your communication preferences but you cannot change them yourself. Any changes — including switching communications back to yourself — must be made by contacting Keeping Company. We will update your preferences on your behalf. |
Contact Keeping Company
Our team is here to help. Please reach out if you have any questions about your ATO communication preferences or would like us to manage these on your behalf.
| 📧 admin@keepingcompany.com.au |
ATO Reference
For the full ATO guidance on communication preferences, visit:
ATO Communication Preferences — Official Guide (last updated 15 May 2026)
The material and contents provided in this publication are informative in nature only. It is not intended to be advice, and you should not act specifically on the basis of this information alone. If expert assistance is required, professional advice should be obtained.
Ryan Miller is the founder of Keeping Company, May 2011 – Present. A tie-loathing, people person with an entrepreneurial spirit. Ryan’s drive to modernize the accounting industry coupled with his desire to help people succeed saw the birth of Keeping Company. Focusing on the SME space, KeepingCo. empowers business owners by providing high-quality end-to-end accounting and business advisory services.
Ryan took his first Accounting role working at KPMG. He went onto further refine his skills as a Chartered Accountant taking the role of Director of a Chartered Accounting firm in Erskineville.
Ryan is a fully qualified Chartered Accountant and a member of the Institute for Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand. He is also a Registered Tax Agent and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of South Australia.