Updating Results

Australian Taxation Office (ATO)

4.2
  • 1,000 - 50,000 employees

Stacey Prince

5.00 AM

Time to start the day! I like to take my time in the mornings. I wake my toddler up at 6.00 am to start getting ready. We leave home at 7.00 am and I drop my daughter at daycare. Then I make my way into the city. I always try to arrive early to get the best parking spot! Today’s not my lucky day for parking though so the walk from the car park to the office is a little longer than normal.

8.00 AM

There’s no set time to start work, which is perfect for me given mornings with a toddler can change day-to-day. While I’m waiting for my computer to start, I make myself an iced latte.

8.15 AM

The first task today is to read any new emails and prioritise my workload using a spreadsheet I keep on my desktop. I know I have a trustee interview at 10.00 am so I’m able to squeeze some other casework in first. I take a new superfund registration audit case I was working on to a co-worker and discuss what decision should be made. The decision is hard to make because of the specific risks identified and I feel I need some assurance that I am making the right decision. After a short discussion, my thoughts are confirmed and a decision is made. I go back to my desk and start the necessary documents to finalise the case. 

9.30 AM

To prepare for the trustee interview at 10.00 am, I need to complete a document that ensures the phone interview covers all the questions I need to ask. I read all the notes on the case and make sure I have the correct contact details. I make myself a cup of tea and settle in before making the hour-long call.

10.00 AM

I make contact with the trustee and confirm their identity. Luckily I can type fairly quickly, as trustee responses need to be typed word for word! I ask questions about their superannuation fund set up, their obligations and responsibilities as a trustee of a fund and their investment strategy. I also talk to the trustee about their personal compliance obligations and make sure everything is up to date. After the interview, I save the document, make a note about the call and update my spreadsheet to reflect the next step I need to take for the case.

11.00 AM

I get a message from a colleague to come for a walk to get a coffee. I take her up on the offer and let my team leader know I’m leaving. It’s nice to get some fresh air. I come back to the office feeling pumped and ready to get back into it!

11.15 AM

I continue working on the documents to finalise the case from earlier. I decide to put that aside and talk to my colleague about a new type of work I’m starting tomorrow.

Day in the life_ATO_Stacey Prince_800x600 2018

11.45 AM

I turn around to my colleague and ask him what I should expect working on late lodger cases. He gives me some examples of what to say on the phone – as well as some of the possible scenarios and the complexity of the work.

12.15 PM

I make my way to the lunch room that has a view of our local beach. I heat up my leftovers and catch up with some other case officers.

12.45 PM

I had agreed to phone a trustee at 1pm sharp to confirm the details of her superfund application. I prepare for it by reading my notes and making sure I had the correct contact details. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get in contact with the trustee. I approach my mentor and get some advice on what to do next.

1.45 PM

Upon returning to my desk, I have to return a call to a tax agent who is the authorised contact for a superannuation fund I am dealing with. We talk about the documents I have requested and when he can return them. He wanted to know more about the reasons why the fund was selected for an audit.

2.00 PM

I’m part of the graduate consultative panel, which means I help the program managers make the graduate program more interesting and engaging. Panel members are from all over Australia. I attended the phone meeting at my desk and we discuss the ideas collected from our cohorts.

3.00 PM

I squeeze in a quick afternoon tea and make general chit-chat with a colleague who works in a different area.

3.15 PM

I receive a new case in my inbox, so I look at it straight away. I start profiling the trustees of the superfund. Profiling includes looking at the trustee’s compliance history, their superfund balance, checking to see if they are a disqualified trustee and other important details. This usually takes about an hour, so I’ll continue with it tomorrow.

4.00 PM

The superannuation business line at the ATO is fast paced and busy, so home time always comes quickly. Normally I stay behind a little bit to accumulate some flex leave but today I’m having an early mark! What a day!

5.30 PM

Cook dinner for the family.

7.30 PM

Get the toddler to bed.

8.00 PM

Relax time!

9.30 PM

Sleep time.