Taxation Compliance Officer

A taxation compliance officer examines tax records, financial statements, and supporting documentation to ensure individuals and organisations comply with Australian taxation law and ATO requirements. They identify discrepancies, lodge compliance reports, and advise clients or internal teams on tax obligations under the Income Tax Assessment Acts and related legislation.

Review tax returns, financial statements, and accounting records to verify compliance with ATO requirements and the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth). Reconcile tax deductions, income declarations, and entity classifications against supporting documentation such as invoices, payroll records, and bank statements. Identify and flag non-compliance issues including underreporting of income, incorrectly claimed deductions, and breach of GST or PAYG withholding obligations. Prepare audit workpapers and compliance checklists documenting the scope, findings, and recommendations for each client or case reviewed. Lodge amended tax returns, voluntary disclosure forms, or compliance variations with the ATO on behalf of clients or the organisation. Conduct data matching and cross-reference checks using ATO online systems to validate taxpayer information against ATO records. Calculate tax liabilities, penalties, and interest payable for non-compliance matters and advise on payment arrangements or instalment plans. Prepare compliance reports summarising findings, risk areas, and remedial actions for senior tax professionals or management review.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate II or III (ABS skill level 4). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

The work is heavily detail-focused and repetitive: you'll spend most days cross-checking numbers, spotting errors, and working through compliance checklists. Pay progression is capped unless you move into advisory or management roles. You're also dealing with people's mistakes and potential legal consequences, which creates pressure to be absolutely accurate every single time.

Most roles are in metro areas where tax firms and corporate head offices operate. Remote work is growing but still limited outside major firms.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 5995, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Attention to Detailcore
• Confidentiality and Privacy Compliancecore
• Correspondence Draftingcore
• Data Entry and Accuracycore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Policy Interpretationcore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Record Managementcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Report Writingcore
• Research and Analysiscore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Tax Withholding Calculationscore
• Verification and Authenticationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Accounting techniques
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracy
• Calculate tax
• Check official documents
• Electronic Document Management
• Microsoft Excel Data Management
• Microsoft Office Suite Proficiency
• Negotiation
• Process Improvement Identification
• Quality Assurance and Checking
• Stakeholder Communication
• Time Management and Prioritisation
• Verbal Communication

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026