The Australian Tax Office uses webinars as a communication, engagement and education tool to help tax professionals and businesses better comply with changes in legislation.

An ATO spokesperson said the educational presentations, which provide practical steps on how to implement the information, had allowed the ATO to engage early with clients and help them understand complex subjects and identify potential issues.

The webinars, used since 2011, have resulted in improved compliance and facilitated changes in behaviour, according to the spokesperson. It has also given the ATO insights into each topic from different perspectives.

An average of 400 people attend ATO webinars, which typically involve a panel discussion with subject matter experts or a presentation by an expert followed by a Q&A segment.

A facilitator introduces the experts, asks questions that may come in during a live broadcast and ensures the discussion is kept on topic and on time.

The ATO promotes webinars across its online channels and through its newsletters and the Tax Agent and Small Business newsrooms.

There is no subscribe feature for the ATO webinars but you can register your interest for any upcoming webinars. You can also view previous webinars online at tv.ato.gov.au. The ATO’s webinars can be found online at ato.gov.au/webinars.