After lodging an activity statement you may find that you have missed something or neglected to include a particular item. While the ATO will generally take your word for self assessed activity statements they will review information via means such as data matching which may highlight any errors you have made. If an inadvertent error occurs there are options to correct these.
It is not uncommon for changes to be made to activity statements that have already been lodged. Often an unclaimed credit or item received by a means other than cash may slip through the cracks and be found forgotten at a later date.
The current activity statement may be used to correct GST and fuel tax credit mistakes, to make claims for previous periods and to vary a PAYG instalment. You have four years from the day you are required to lodge the activity statement to claim refunds and credits. If the claim cannot be made on the current activity statement the original may need to be revised. Correcting mistakes and making claims for previous periods may be hindered by the specific tax or credit type involved and should be discussed with you accountant if you are unsure of the process.
If the ATO accept the revision of you activity statement they will treat it as a voluntary disclosure of unpaid tax or over-claimed credit. This usually means concessional treatment for penalties and interest relating to the amount in question. If the ATO does not agree with the revision they will issue a notice of amended assessment.
The most important thing is to notify the ATO as soon as an error is found and to correct the information provided. The sooner the ATO is notified the less likely penalties will follow.
If you would like more information please contact our office.