Government admits knowing of credit card ban since July, not September
The government knew in July the ATO was planning to ban credit card tax payments.
Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino told ABC TV on Sunday that he and Treasurer Jim Chalmers knew in July that the ATO was considering banning credit card payments for tax bills. The government pushed back the ban to July 2027 after widespread complaints from some small businesses.
Mulino said the pair insisted on a transition period and worked with the ATO to arrange it. The RBA announced in March it would ban merchant fees on credit cards from October 1.
Chalmers told parliament last week he only learned of the plan in late September. Mulino said the ATO had wanted to ban credit cards entirely.
The government preferred to keep negotiating with credit card companies to lower fees instead. The Australian Council of Commerce and Industry called the admission concerning.
They said it showed poor policymaking.
- July vs late September
- Knowledge gap
- July 2027
- New implementation date
- October 1
- Original RBA ban date
- Mulino and Chalmers
- Government officials
Why it mattersSmall businesses can now plan for the transition to paying tax without credit cards.
AustraliaAll Australian small businesses using credit cards to pay tax now have until July 2027 instead of October 2026 to change their payment methods.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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