
Last November, thousands of Australians received letters advising them of unpaid tax debts. Some of these were decades old, dating back to a time of chequebooks and paper records.
There were mixed responses.
Some believed the letters were a scam with forged Australian Taxation Office (ATO) letterhead, and promptly disposed of the correspondence. Others, who had diligently paid their tax for years, called their agents or the tax office seeking an explanation.
Some paid up.