Bookkeepers and Mobile Bookkeeping Services

One of our bookkeeping clients received a communication from the ATO advising that they owe $0.05

Where is the sense (cents) in making a five cent payment?

Let’s just think about this simple transaction in terms of human and energy resources:

There’s the cost the ATO $0.55 for the postage. That’s before you take into account the cost of printing the letter, the cost of the paper and the envelope, and the cost of paying someone to handle the letter.

Our bookkeeping client was going to make a phone call, but that would cost 500% more than the value of the enquiry

Whilst they do not have a problem paying the 5 cents, it’s quite obvious why ordinary hard-working Australians are having to pay so much tax overall.

Apparently there is a great deal of wastage of resources at the ATO – typical of the Public Service that doesn’t have to worry about keeping costs down

So, our bookkeeping client was going to do internet banking and make a BPAY transfer, to find out that the ATO does not accept such small amount of payment for a BPAY transfer

So how does our bookkeeping client pay the 5 cents that the ATO is asking for?

Are they expected to go to the Post Office and make a payment over the counter?

Again, what is the cost of that simple exercise?
The Government is concerned about carbon pollution, yet the ATO wants our bookkeeping client to jump in their gas guzzling motor vehicle to drive to the shopping centre, find a car park, then walk to the Post Office, stand in a queue, take up the time of a Post Office Staff member, to process a 5 cent payment

Can anyone from the Australian Taxation Office or the Federal Treasury please tell us, where is the sense (no pun in tended) in making this five cent payment?