The ATO is due to stop accepting direct credit-card payments after 30 November 2026. The change is separate from Australia’s credit-card surcharge reform, which began on 1 October. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and independent MP Allegra Spender have called for the ATO to reverse its decision, while the ATO says it does not consider it appropriate to pass card merchant fees on to the community.
When will the ATO stop accepting credit cards?
The announced final day for paying the ATO directly by credit card is 30 November 2026. From 1 December, direct credit-card payments are expected to fail; other payment methods remain available. Because this is a future change, check the ATO’s current payment instructions before making a payment.
SmartCompany reported the date on 1 October 2026. The Rort likewise describes 30 November as the last day for direct card payments.
Why are politicians asking the ATO to reverse the decision?
The Rort reports that Pauline Hanson and Allegra Spender called on the ATO to reverse the change. Hanson said: “Businesses are expected to absorb these fees, while the ATO avoids them by withdrawing credit card payments”. Spender said the ATO “should reverse this”. The Rort attributes its account to contemporary news reporting.
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The ATO’s stated reason, quoted by SmartCompany, is: “As a government agency, the ATO has decided it would not be appropriate for the cost of credit card merchant fees to be transferred to the community”.
How the ATO decision differs from the surcharge reform
Australia’s national card-surcharge reform began on 1 October 2026. It concerns surcharges that merchants may charge customers for card payments. The ATO’s announcement is a separate decision to withdraw its own direct credit-card payment channel. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) says card networks introduced no-surcharge rules, while businesses still pay fees to their card payment providers for accepting cards.
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The RBA’s overview of the merchant-card review explains the reform and its cost measures. Its surcharge-reform FAQ distinguishes provider fees from customer surcharges. These changes do not themselves provide a replacement way to pay the ATO by credit card.
How much did businesses use credit cards to pay tax?
According to ATO figures reported by SmartCompany, credit cards accounted for 2.3% of ATO tax payments in 2024–25. The report says roughly six in ten of those card payments came from wealthy groups or major corporations. Those figures describe the reported mix of card payments; they do not establish what share came from small businesses or measure the effect of the planned withdrawal on them.
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The RBA separately reported that 16% of Australian businesses surcharge. That figure concerns businesses charging customers, not taxpayers paying the ATO.
What can a small business use instead?
The ATO announcement leaves other payment methods available, but businesses should check the ATO’s current instructions and choose a route that fits the tax payment and its due date. Compare whether the payment goes directly to the ATO or through an intermediary, the total fee, how long funds take to reach the ATO, compatibility with any payment plan, and whether the route accepts the relevant tax reference.
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Pay.com.au advertises an indirect route for card-funded ATO payments. Its page describes the provider’s offer, but does not establish that the route will remain available after 30 November 2026, comply with future card-network rules, suit every tax reference, or be fee-free. Confirm the provider’s current terms, fees and settlement timing before relying on it. The ATO’s other payment methods remain the alternative if a card-funded route is unsuitable.
Using an intermediary is not the same as paying the ATO directly by credit card. A business should allow enough time for the funds to arrive and verify how the payment will be identified and allocated.
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Can you still earn card points on a tax bill?
The announced change ends direct ATO credit-card acceptance, not necessarily every third-party service that may let a customer fund a tax payment with a card. However, whether an indirect route will work after 30 November 2026—and its fees, timing and eligibility—is not established. Check the provider’s current conditions and compare the total cost with any card rewards before using one.
What should businesses do about their own card-acceptance costs?
For a business reviewing how it accepts customer payments, the RBA recommends understanding the drivers of payment fees and comparing providers. Look at the fee structure, whether pricing is blended or differentiated, what hardware or software is bundled, switching costs and the detail shown on statements. The RBA says the surcharge reform is accompanied by lower interchange caps and fee-transparency measures intended to reduce business costs.
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman’s July 2025 submission to the RBA argued that small firms often face higher merchant fees and have less capacity to absorb them. It also raised concerns that bundled plans can combine payment services with hardware or software, making a provider switch disruptive. These are concerns raised in the earlier surcharge-policy debate, not measured findings about the impact of the ATO’s later payment-channel decision. Read the Ombudsman’s July 2025 submission.
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