The Australian Taxation Office’s annual report revealed collectable debt had a record rise last year to just under $24 billion.
The outstanding debt is mostly owned by small businesses, up to half of which the ATO says is subject to appeal, or uneconomical or impossible to recover.
The ATO still met their revenue target by collecting more company tax from high-profit corporations, and by targeting multinationals and wealthy individuals through the Tax Avoidance Taskforce.