The assistant treasurer, Daniel Mulino, says the federal government knew months before it was publicly disclosed that the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) was considering banning credit card payments. Mulino’s comments indicate the government was aware of the possible change well ahead of when the plans were communicated to the public.
Multiple outlets report that the proposed move is linked to the ATO’s response to a ban on credit card surcharges. They state that ministers were warned for months that the tax office was assessing whether to suspend credit card payment options, before the decision was made public.
While the reporting focuses on different phrasing, the overall details align: internal government awareness preceded public announcement, and the underlying trigger was the shift in credit card surcharge rules. The outlets collectively frame this as an issue of timing and prior notice within government processes, rather than contesting the basic existence of the ATO’s consideration and eventual policy direction.
