Who is reading your posts ?

[Paul@PFI]

This forum and its various groups can be an invaluable place for novice and experts to mix, share ideas and ask questions.

A recent speech by a Senior ATO Officer involved in the SMSF space has indicated what I have always known. Yes, The ATO is watching. I know Asst Cmmrs and others who tell me they participate, view and even post to SS. Its a great way to engage with what people are doing on the streets. I have even been asked about my posts. Its how the ATO, ASIC and others regulators monitor for new issues. To see new ideas. To understand what formal and informal views are running around the market. Personally, I have seen few posts that raise goosebumps but they do pop up on ocassion.

Don't let it stop your involvement.

 

[The Fence]

Nothing to hide here.

Glad the ATO has now come out from behind the curtain.

Nice one.

Now we might be able to get some decent answers to queries in quick time directly to the forum and not have to wait for hours on the ATO hotline.

Yeah, I know, dreamin...

 

[impala67]

I think ATO could be very constructive on the SS forum. In terms of constructive feedback.

 

[Aaron_C]

Nothing new, big brother and all.

 

[geoffw]

I think ATO could be very constructive on the SS forum. In terms of constructive feedback.

But then current public servants have been warned off social media. It may be difficult for a public servant to be able to comment publicly on anything which involves policy.

 

[Peter_Tersteeg]

I've got a few clients who work for the ATO and they've been reading Somersoft. They're investors as well and not that kind of auditor, but there are ATO staff about here.

One of my contacts at the bank mentioned they were investigating a broker, Googled his name, found it here (in one of the, "who's this guy" threads). My bank contact mentioned it to me because I responded to the thread (nothing for anyone to worry about).

It's amazing what Google will tell the world about you.

 

[zimby]

It's amazing what Google will tell the world about you.

Yes, we are fast approaching a time where services will pop up helping people remove their on-line presence( if not already).
Facebook integration is pretty bad.
People comment on forums linked to their facebook, this is asking for trouble.

 

[D.T.]

It's amazing what Google will tell the world about you.

Hence why I'd never sign up for facebook under my real name.

 

[mrdobalina]

Hence why I'd never sign up for facebook under my real name.

But you sign up on this forum in your real name?

 

[D.T.]

But you sign up on this forum in your real name?

Workmates and family don't congregate together here.

 

[MRO]

It is a shame that rather than lurking in the corner reading posts they don't provide some input.

Seems they would rather direct resources to catching cheats than directing investors to act in the correct manner.

.. awaits audit letter.

 

[datto]

Read the ATO has got 500 redundacies coming up. Looks like they will have less time to snoop on forums!

 

[Terry_w]

Read the ATO has got 500 redundacies coming up. Looks like they will have less time to snoop on forums!

Many do it after hours for pleasure - they love tax and are investors themselves. They then see something of interest and may file an information report in their system which can be used for intelligence.

I too have a few ATO clients who are investors.

 

[datto]

Many do it after hours for pleasure - they love tax and are investors themselves. They then see something of interest and may file an information report in their system which can be used for intelligence. .

Many? Hang on a sec. Were are talking about overpaid public servants here. After hours many will be getting over their long lunch and heading to the golf course for a quick hit.

 

[Richard Feynman]

Hence why I'd never sign up for facebook under my real name.

It's against their terms of service to do that, and your account can be immediately suspended if discovered.

It's also incredibly unlikely that they ever would discover you were using a fake name, thus, I highly recommend it.

 

[geoffw]

For a start, when I was a contractor, I didn't see many public servants who weren't hard working people. Second, many are really having to watch their backs now. Voluntary redundancies aren't going to cover the reductions.

Management has become top heavy in some places, leaving the troops to work harder.

 

[geoffw]

It's against their terms of service to do that, and your account can be immediately suspended if discovered.

My understanding is that it's against the terms of service to comment on anything (or any opinions) relating to their employment. I don't think there's any problem with having an account for purely private purposes.

 

[D.T.]

It's against their terms of service to do that, and your account can be immediately suspended if discovered.

It's also incredibly unlikely that they ever would discover you were using a fake name, thus, I highly recommend it.

I'd be very happy if they suspended it.

 

[wategos]

The ATO loses billions in revenue due to undeclared rental income, most of which is channelled via real estate agents.

All they have to do to combat this is to do what the UK does, require agents to report rental income.

Listening ATO?

 

[geoffw]

There's already a lot of data matching with banking records. This may well pick up unreported income of any sort.