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The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has banned credit card payments for tax starting December 1, citing new Reserve Bank rules that prohibit it from passing on surcharges to taxpayers. Labor's Claire O'Neill expressed concerns about this move during a radio interview, noting that cash flow management for small businesses could be impacted since nearly 2.3% of tax payments in the 2024-25 financial year were made via credit cards. However, Digital Economy Minister Andrew Charlton defended the ATO’s decision, arguing it aligns with the government's push to lower overall costs and interest rates for taxpayers compared to those on credit cards.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has banned credit card payments for tax bills from November 30 in response to the Reserve Bank's ban on credit card surcharges, effective October 1. This move aims to save consumers about $1.6 billion annually but has faced backlash from small businesses and business groups who argue it disrupts their cash flow management. The ATO met with business lobby groups on Wednesday but did not change its stance despite the criticism. Labor's Housing Minister Clare O'Neil expressed "real concerns" over the decision, calling for further discussion between the ATO and businesses to find a solution. However, Labor ministers have contradicted each other regarding their support for the ban, adding confusion to the government’s position on the issue.
Written for “ATO Credit Card Ban” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 4 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.35, but all 3 of its quote(s) are attributed speech - words the article quotes from someone, not the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 65046: attributed speech only · logged 2026-10-08
The tax man doubling down on blocking credit card payments has prompted accusations of a double standard and sounded alarm bells within the government.
asserted
man → double → government
Australians will no longer be able to pay tax with credit cards from December, after the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) declared on October 1 it could not absorb the credit card surcharges it was now banned from passing on to taxpayers.
uncertain
it → pay → taxpayers
The tax office held its ground in a meeting with business groups on Wednesday, which bred complaints it was shirking a new cost burden the government was forcing on vendors.
asserted
government → hold → vendors
Labor frontbencher Claire O'Neill revealed anxieties about the ATO's firm stance.
asserted
O'Neill → reveal → stance
'The government does have some real concerns about what the ATO is proposing to do here,' she told Nine's Today program on Thursday.
asserted
she → have → Thursday
'Cash flow is the biggest thing that's often of concern for small business, and using credit cards to pay tax bill is a way that a lot of people are just managing that issue.
asserted
lot → use → issue
'We really want the ATO to go back and talk to business about what they've decided to do here.'
asserted
they → want → what
The ban on credit card surcharges, handed down by the Reserve Bank, is expected to save consumers about $1.6billion a year.
asserted
ban → hand → 1.6billion
Clare O'Neil (pictured) said the government has 'some real concerns' about the ATO's changes
About 2.3 per cent of tax payments were made with credit cards in the 2024-25 financial year, most of them from privately owned, wealthy groups, public and multinational businesses, according to the tax office.
The agency has pledged to write to those with a payment plan linked to a credit card, explaining the changes and their options.
uncertain
agency → picture → changes
But Digital Economy Minister Andrew Charlton said the government was behind the ATO.
asserted
government → say → ATO
'They don't want the people who are not paying by credit card, which is 98 per cent of taxpayers, to be subsidising those that do,' he told ABC Radio.
asserted
he → want → Radio
'The tax office offers payment plans for small businesses...
asserted
office → offer → businesses
'
Lowering caps on interchange fees between banks and card issuers, which also came into effect on October 1, could help offset some of the new policy's growing pains, Mr Charlton said.
uncertain
Charlton → lower → pains
But the government was plugging a double standard by forcing businesses to shoulder credit card surcharges while the ATO let itself off the hook, according to Nationals Senate leader Bridget McKenzie.
uncertain
ATO → plug → McKenzie
'The prime minister promised that removing the surcharge would make coffees go down somehow - evanesco, surchargio, disappearo,' she said.
asserted
she → promise → disappearo
Junior Labor minister Andrew Charlton (pictured) contradicted O'Neil's stance on Thursday
'
asserted
Charlton → picture → Thursday
The government needs to direct the ATO to accept credit cards because the reality is, if you're paying cash or card right now, you are paying a surcharge for Labor's economic failure.'
asserted
you → need → failure
Business groups have urged the tax office to rethink its decision, with opposition frontbenchers pleading with the government to strong-arm the agency.
asserted
frontbenchers → urge → agency
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