ATO data matching programs — share transactions and selling on eBay
The ATO has given notice of two data matching programs, one relating to online selling and the other to share transactions.
Online selling data matching program
Under the online selling data matching program, the ATO will obtain data from eBay Australia and New Zealand Pty Ltd (operator of the Australian eBay website) identifying online selling account holders with annual trading activity that amounts to $12,000 or more during the 2015/16 to the 2017/18 income years.
The ATO expects that it will receive from 20,000 to 30,000 records, about half of which are expected to relate to individuals.
“Under the online selling data matching program, the ATO will obtain data identifying online selling account holders with annual trading activity of $12 000 or more.”
Share transaction data matching program
Under the share transaction data matching program, data will be obtained from the following sources:
- Link Market Services Limited
- Computershare Limited
- Australian Securities Exchange Limited
- Boardroom Pty Ltd
- Advanced Share Registry Services Pty Ltd
- Security Transfer Registrars Pty Ltd
- Automic Registry Services (Automic Pty Ltd).
The ATO will seek data from these sources on share transactions handled by those sources from 20 September 1985 to 30 June 2018. The data sought will include identities of buyers and sellers, share sale price and quantities of shares acquired or disposed of.
If you have any questions or enquires, please contact:
Norman Ruan
Accountant
T: 02 9984 7774
E: normanr@northadvisory.com.au
Martin van der Saag
Director
T: 02 9984 7774
E: martinv@northadvisory.com.au
“Under the share transaction data matching program, the ATO will also collect extensive share transaction data, including the identities of buyers and sellers as well as sale prices and quantities.”
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Key Takeaways
The ATO is running an online selling data matching program focused on eBay sellers with substantial trading activity.
This program identifies sellers with annual sales of $12 000 or more for compliance purposes.
Tens of thousands of seller records are expected to be matched against ATO data holdings.
This gives the ATO a broad data set to analyse income reported versus actual online sales activity.
The program examines whether online sellers are meeting registration, GST and income tax obligations.
It helps detect cases where income may not have been reported or correctly declared.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the online selling data matching program?
It is a data-matching initiative where the ATO obtains information from online marketplaces (such as eBay) to identify sellers whose annual trading activity meets or exceeds $12 000, so it can check income reporting for tax and GST purposes.
Which online platform does the program focus on?
The program collects data from the operator of the Australian eBay site to identify account holders with significant sales activity during the specified income years.
What kind of data does the ATO collect about online sellers?
The ATO expects to receive tens of thousands of records that identify sellers — including personal and account details — where trading activity has an annual value of $12 000 or more.
What is the share transaction data matching program?
This is a separate data-matching program where the ATO collects share transaction information from share registries and market service providers, including identities of buyers and sellers and transaction details over a long historical period.
Why is the ATO collecting this data?
The ATO uses the matched data to help ensure that individuals and businesses correctly report income — including from online selling — and meet their tax and reporting obligations.
What ATO data matching programs are covered in this article?
The article covers two ATO data matching programs: one for online selling (eBay) and one for share transactions.
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