Data suggests that 1 in 6 women and 1 in 13 men have experienced economic abuse by an intimate partner. Perpetrators use coercive control or fraud to access superannuation early, pay family trust distributions to other bank accounts, appoint company directors without consent, and falsify tax returns, leaving victims with significant tax bills.

This report highlights how the tax system is being used as a weapon of financial abuse – a form of domestic and family violence. It identifies how the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and other organisations can respond through prevention, detection and support for victim-survivors. 

The report is accompanied by a summary and case studies.

Recommendations for the ATO

• Increase training for all frontline officers and provide dedicated and specialist resources in financial abuse and trauma-informed practices to better support victim-survivors.
• Better prevent and detect abuse, including by using evidence from trusted partner organisations.
• Explore available opportunities to remove the debt from the victim-survivor.
• Clarify how and when it can report potential financial abuse to law enforcement authorities.