If you don't pay

What happens if you don’t pay

If you’ve received a tax bill from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) you need to pay it in full and on time. If you pay in full and on time, you’ll avoid a general interest charge (GIC). The longer it takes you to pay, the more it will cost you through GIC. When you owe tax that you can’t pay by the due date, contact the ATO before the due date to discuss your options.

If you don't pay your tax bill on time, you should expect:

• general interest charges may be applied to your unpaid amounts
• any future refunds or credits may be used to repay the amounts you owe
• firmer action may be taken to recover unpaid amounts.