The Tax Office says it is become easier to map data over the past few years and that taxpayers can now report suspicious activity even if they don't know exact addresses or company information.
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"People ring in and say, 'a person living near me has some unexplained wealth'. Or, 'It appears that the person living next to me is running a business out of their home'," Mr Holt said.
One third of the reports this past year have been from Australians suggesting someone they know is under-reporting their income.
More than one-in-four cases related to the cash economy, while eight per cent of reports came from workers saying they were chasing unpaid superannuation from an employer.
While a tip-off won't lead to the an investigation by itself, it can be used with other information already on file to trigger an audit.
The tip-offs split: Why Aussies call the tax man
- Suspected under-reported income
- The cash economy
- Non-lodgmet of tax
- Inadequate or no super
- Over-stating expenses
"It could be the missing piece of the puzzle," Mr Holt said.
An estimated $50 billion is lost in Australia each year through hiding of taxable income. The Tax Office says most Australian consumers and businesses do the right thing, though it is increasingly easy to identify those behaving badly.
Public tip-offs have previously contributed to jail terms for tax avoiders. In March, an international student from Melbourne was jailed for two years and three months for involvement in a tax fraud scheme after a phone call led to a joint investigation including the Tax Office, Border Force and the Australian Federal Police.
Those wanting to report suspicious activity can call 1800 060 062 or report it online through ATO channels.
Due to privacy laws, tipsters will not be informed about what happens once they've made their phone call.
Unpaid superannuation payments will be increasingly easy to track thanks to digital payroll systems providing up-to-date reporting for companies of all sizes from July 1.
Mr Holt said businesses that are aware they might be behind on superannuation or tax payments should make direct contact. The Tax Office is primarily concerned with those intentionally doing the wrong thing, he said.
Emma is the small business reporter for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald based in Melbourne.









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