ATO looking to bar tax dodgers from leaving the country in bid to lower $50 billion debt

Published: January 7, 2026

Daily London

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) is cracking down on tax dodgers fleeing Australia as it looks to rein in a massive debt.

The collectable debt book bill has blown out to $50 billion, with the ATO looking to crack down on people seeking to flee the country or go on overseas holidays rather than paying the tax they owe or superannuation to their employees.

As a result, the ATO is issuing departure prohibition orders (DPO) against people it believes are attempting to avoid paying their debts.

One DPO was issued just as a person was trying to board an international flight. (Getty)

According to recent data, the ATO has issued 21 DPOs, which is more than the total number issued in the last financial year as a whole.

Some are issued in the nick of time, with one person barred from boarding a flight in the early hours of the morning thanks to a DPO.

“Taxpayers with significant debts to the ATO that think they can skip the country without paying what is owed to the community should think again,” ATO Assistant Commissioner Anita Challen said.

“We think most Australians would expect businesses to pay their employees’ superannuation before they plan an overseas holiday”

The ATO is warning Australians against trying to flee the country with outstanding tax debts. (Getty)

Other illegal measures the ATO is looking to stamp out include businesses taxing taxes from employees or GST from customers, but not passing it onto the government.

DPOs are seen as a last resort, as the ATO has less power to enforce other restrictions if the person is not in Australia at the time.

Challen insisted all Australians should heed the warning.

“If you have a significant debt with the ATO and we’ve issued you with a DPO, you’ll need to pay or make satisfactory arrangements to pay before planning your overseas travel,” she said.