ATO debt and your company

Understand your personal director liabilities, statutory demand timelines, and how the Australian Small Business Restructuring process can settle outstanding tax accounts.

Guides in this section

Director Penalty Notices (Lockdown vs 21-Day Notice)

The difference between a standard DPN and a lockdown DPN decides whether a director can still act — and how much time they have.

8 min read

Statutory Demand: How to Respond in 21 Days

A statutory demand starts a clock that cannot be paused or extended. If one has arrived, the most important thing to understand is what the 21 days actually mean.

6 min read

Your formal options

Compare your options

Small Business Restructuring

Directors remain in office and continue daily trade. Fixed-fee appointment. Creditors vote on plan within roughly 35 business days. Significant write-downs possible.

Voluntary Administration

Control passes to an external administrator. High statutory costs and public investigation. Best suited for complex mid-market entities with over $1M liabilities.

Liquidation

Immediate cessation of trade and orderly realisation of assets. Company dissolved. Directors face public reporting and potential recovery claims.

See the full comparison