How to get your ATO statement of account for a loan application

“Can you send through your ATO statement?” is a request that makes a lot of owners pause. Where is it? Which one? What if it shows a debt? Here’s the calm, practical version.

What is an ATO statement of account?

It’s a record of the balance and transactions on your business’s accounts with the ATO. Most businesses have more than one:

• an activity statement account (GST, PAYG withholding, PAYG instalments and other amounts reported on your BAS),
• an income tax account (for companies, trusts and other entities that lodge their own return),
• sometimes others, such as a super guarantee charge account.

The statement shows what’s been charged, what’s been paid, any general interest charge, and the running balance. If there’s an ATO payment plan in place, the regular payments show up here too.

Why do lenders ask for it?

Because tax debt affects cash flow and risk, lenders want three answers:

1. Is there a debt?
2. How big is it, and is it growing or shrinking?
3. Is it on a payment plan that’s being kept up?

A debt on a payment plan that’s been paid on time for months reads very differently from one that’s been left to grow. Neither automatically rules you out: ATO debt is considered case by case, and some owners borrow specifically to clear it.

Where do I find it if I trade through a company, trust or partnership?

In Online services for business. The ATO says its Accounts and payments menu lets you view account details, see balances and transactions, download transactions, and print or save account summaries and statements.

To log in you need:

• a myID (formerly myGovID; the ATO renamed it in mid-November 2024) with Standard or Strong identity strength, and
• your myID linked to the business’s ABN in RAM (Relationship Authorisation Manager).

If that setup isn’t done yet, don’t worry. Our guide to myID and RAM for business owners walks through it step by step.

Where do I find it if I’m a sole trader?

Sole traders generally use ATO online services through myGov. Once your myGov account is linked to the ATO, you can view your tax accounts and activity statements there. Sole traders can also access Online services for business if they’ve set up myID and RAM.

Can my tax agent just send it?

Usually, yes, and it’s often the quickest route. Registered tax and BAS agents have their own online services and can download client account statements. A short email to your accountant saying “Could you send me our ATO statement of account for the last 12 months?” is normally enough.

If you’re gathering documents for a loan, ask for it at the same time as any recent BAS or tax returns so they arrive together. Our page on BAS for a business loan covers that side.

What if the statement shows a debt I haven’t dealt with yet?

Take a breath. It’s more common than you’d think, and there are usually options:

• Set up a payment plan. The ATO says businesses can make a payment plan online for debts under $200,000, and change existing plans.
• Lodge anything outstanding. Unlodged BAS can mean estimated amounts; lodging often clarifies the real figure.
• Talk to a lender about it openly. Some options can refinance tax debt or work alongside an existing plan.

The worst approach is leaving it out of an application. It will show on the statement anyway, and a surprise tends to cause a decline where honesty might not. If there’s a tax debt in the picture, mention it in the enquiry and we’ll factor it in from the start.

How far back should the statement go?

Most lenders are interested in the recent story: typically the last twelve months of transactions, or long enough to show how any debt arose and how it’s being managed. If you have an ATO payment plan, include the period since it started so the lender can see the payments being made. If the business has several ATO accounts, download each one that shows activity rather than just the one with the biggest balance. When in doubt, a slightly longer period is better than one that cuts off halfway through a story. For the rest of your document list, see what paperwork you really need.

Illustrative example: the plan that helped

Illustrative only.

A small building company owes around $45k in GST and PAYG withholding. Six months ago the director set up an ATO payment plan and every instalment since has been paid on time. When the company seeks a loan for new equipment, its ATO statement shows the debt steadily falling. The lender reads that as a business managing its obligations, and the discussion moves on to the equipment itself.

Quick checklist before you download

• myID set up and linked in RAM (or ask your tax agent)
• Download statements or transactions for every ATO account with activity
• Cover at least the period the lender asks for
• Check any payment plan shows up with payments made
• Save as PDF with a clear file name

Our paperwork checklist builder adds this to your list automatically when you tick that there’s a tax debt.

Tax debt? Ask without the awkwardness

You don’t need to have your ATO affairs perfectly tidy to find out what’s possible. Our enquiry takes about 60 seconds, there’s no credit check when you first enquire, and your details stay with our lending team instead of being spread across a pile of lenders. A real person calls and talks through options in plain English, tax debt included.

Please include the approximate tax debt and whether it’s on a payment plan when you fill in the form. Accurate answers mean we can suggest something workable on the first call.

Talk about your options, tax debt and all →