Mistaken ID

But they probably haven’t caused you this much drama.

Statement from Australian Tax Office spokesperson

The ATO cannot comment on the tax affairs of any individual or entity due to our obligations of confidentiality under the law.

The ATO acts in in accordance with Australian Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act 1988, the Australian Government Agencies Privacy Code (Privacy Code), and the taxpayer confidentiality provisions in Schedule 1 to the Taxation Administration Act 1953.

In circumstances where an individual or entity feels their information may have been compromised, clients should contact our Client Identity Support Centre on 1800 467 033 immediately, or visit our website at ato.gov.au.     

The ATO investigates all circumstances brought to our attention and works with third parties, including super funds wherever necessary.

Statement from Department of Human Services general manager Hank Jongen

We are deeply sorry for this breakdown in service and have previously contacted the customers involved to address this issue and apologise.

While we can’t go into the details of specific customer cases, we acknowledge the impact this has undoubtedly had on both customers.

It was a unique situation that occurred as a result of human error when the appropriate checks and processes were not followed in this case.

Our staff are counselled when they make mistakes and we review our processes to prevent them happening again.

We take the protection and management of personal data very seriously and want to reassure people that we thoroughly reviewed this incident at the time and rectified it very quickly.

Statement from REST

This is a highly unusual and complex situation that involves multiple parties and industry-wide automated processes developed to make the system more efficient. Rest is working with all involved and resolve this as soon as possible.

This is a timely reminder for everyone to contact their super fund to ensure they have your correct personal information.

Rest treats the privacy of our members with utmost importance. Our Privacy policy is available on our website.