The Lat Chat

5 ATO Red Flags That Put You on Their Radar

The Lat Chat

Show Notes

There are certain things that can put you on the ATO’s radar, and some of them have nothing to do with deliberately doing the wrong thing.

In this video, Jacob Fahmy breaks down five major red flags that can attract ATO attention, including lifestyle assets that do not appear to match your reported income, information from banks and other third parties that does not line up with your tax return, poor lodgement history, unusually large refunds and tip offs from members of the public.

The ATO can receive information from employers, banks, investment providers, rental agents, insurance companies and other sources, which means they may already have a picture of your financial position before your tax return is lodged.

Jacob also explains why keeping good records matters, what can happen when your reported information does not make sense, and why ignoring outstanding tax returns can make the problem worse.

The key takeaway is simple: if the ATO ever asks questions, you want to be able to explain where the numbers came from and back them up with proper documentation.

Need an accountant?

GET A FREE CONSULTATION FOR ALL ABN HOLDERS https://forms.zohopublic.com/john205/form/GENERALENQUIRYFORM/formperma/VYEBrsCV_ompEVvnkA0eygWlJxXO5OajFsjjngf_jzw

OUR SERVICES https://latitudeaccountants.com.au/accounting-services/

[email protected]

https://latitudeaccountants.com.au/

This content is general information only and does not constitute financial, tax, accounting, legal, property or business advice. Speak with a qualified adviser about your own circumstances.

#ATO #TaxAudit #AustralianTax #TaxTips #Accountant #LatitudeAccountants

More from The Lat Chat

Oct 22, 2026

ASIC MoneySmart has plenty of advice on how Australians should budget, save and manage their money. But how realistic is it when you actually try to follow it?

Oct 20, 2026

In this episode of The Account Rant, John Saade sits down with Bethany Parker, a national bench press champion, two time world powerlifting champion and John’s own powerlifting coach, to break down some of the most controversial techniques and rules in the sport.

Oct 19, 2026

Running your business through a company can be a great structure, but using that company incorrectly can create tax problems you never expected.In this video, Jacob Fahmy breaks down five of the biggest tax mistakes he sees company owners make, including treating company money like personal money, paying super late, buying vehicles through the company without considering FBT, ignoring ATO lodgements and leaving tax planning until after the financial year has ended.Jacob explains how Division 7A can apply when company money is taken personally, why unpaid super can create additional costs and director consequences, and why putting a car through the company does not automatically make it a good tax strategy.He also explains why lodging your BAS on time matters even when the company cannot immediately pay the debt, and why proper tax planning needs to happen before 30 June while there are still decisions available to you.The key takeaway is simple: having a company does not automatically mean you have a good tax structure. You still need to understand how money comes out of the company, when your obligations are due and the tax consequences of the decisions you make.Need an accountant?GET A FREE CONSULTATION FOR ALL ABN HOLDERShttps://forms.zohopublic.com/john205/form/GENERALENQUIRYFORM/formperma/VYEBrsCV_ompEVvnkA0eygWlJxXO5OajFsjjngf_jzwOUR SERVICEShttps://latitudeaccountants.com.au/accounting-services/[email protected]://www.tiktok.com/@latitudeaccountantsInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/latitudeaccountants/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@LatitudeAccountantsLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/latitude-accountants/Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/latitudeaccountants/Websitehttps://latitudeaccountants.com.au/This content is general information only and does not constitute financial, tax, accounting, legal, property or business advice. Speak with a qualified adviser about your own circumstances.#CompanyTax #Division7A #FBT #ATO #BusinessTax #TaxTips #Accountant #LatitudeAccountantsChapters00:00 5 Company Tax Mistakes00:42 Mistake 1: Treating Company Money as Your Own03:02 Mistake 2: Paying Super Late04:52 Mistake 3: Putting Your Car in the Company07:12 Mistake 4: Ignoring ATO Lodgements09:00 Mistake 5: Not Tax Planning10:49 How to Avoid These Tax Problems11:38 What’s Coming Next

Oct 16, 2026

Sydney’s property downturn is showing more signs of stress, with auction clearance rates falling sharply, sellers discounting, borrowing capacity tightening and unemployment moving higher.

Oct 15, 2026

In this episode of The Account Rant, John Saade and Catarina Santini break down where the money actually goes when a business is profitable on paper but the cash seems to have disappeared.

See all episodes →