Today on the Accountants Daily podcast, Scott Treatt of the Tax Institute says the ATO’s debt book is ballooning and funding to address the problem needs to put on a proper footing. An additional $650 million in the recent budget for the Tax Avoidance Taskforce highlights how effective it has been, he says, but creates issues of its own. “If I look at it from a policy perspective, it is temporary and provides an administration challenge,” says Scott. “That leads to them having contractors as opposed to full-time staff that can be brought in and trained up and given the skill-set to really have an enduring life at the ATO. Scott also discusses other issues that urgently need attention, such as the disincentives for a second parent to take on full-time work due to the costs of childcare.