ATO Objection Form for Tax Professionals (NAT 13044): Fillable PDF
Objection form - for tax professionals
Australian Taxation Office
Lets a registered tax professional lodge an objection against an ATO decision on behalf of a client.
Reviewed July 2026
This form must be opened in Adobe Acrobat Reader to fill it out. Browsers show a placeholder page instead of the form.
How it works
- 1
Download the form. Save the official PDF to your device.
- 2
Open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader and fill in each field. Browsers show a placeholder page for this form type.
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Save and submit the completed form following the official instructions.
The objection form for tax professionals (NAT 13044) is the version of the ATO objection form designed for registered tax agents, BAS agents, and legal practitioners lodging objections on behalf of clients. It covers the same ground as the taxpayer version, formally disputing decisions such as assessments, amended assessments, penalties, and private rulings, with the professional recording their own details and authority alongside the client's.
Like its taxpayer counterpart, NAT 13044 is a dynamic XFA PDF that only renders in Adobe Acrobat Reader on a computer. Browser viewers and online editors, including the Universal PDF editor, show a please wait placeholder instead of the form fields. Download the file from this page, complete it in Acrobat Reader, and confirm on ato.gov.au that you are using the current version.
What the form is used for
The form initiates the ATO's formal objection process on behalf of a client. Lodging it obliges the ATO to review the disputed decision against the grounds raised and to issue an objection decision, which preserves the client's rights to external review if the outcome is unfavourable.
Objection time limits vary by the type of decision and the client's circumstances, so verify the applicable period on ato.gov.au before lodging, and include a request for an extension with reasons if the period has already run.
Who uses it
Registered tax professionals acting under a client authorisation. Individual taxpayers objecting on their own behalf should use the objection form for taxpayers (NAT 13471) instead.
Practitioners can also lodge objections through Online services for agents, which sidesteps the XFA format and keeps the objection within the practice's existing ATO workflow.
How to complete the XFA form
The dynamic format changes the handling, not the substance:
- Download the PDF to your computer instead of viewing it in a browser tab.
- Open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader, where the dynamic sections render and expand as completed.
- Record the client's identity, the decision under objection, and the periods involved.
- State the grounds in full and attach the evidence supporting each ground, together with the outcome sought.
- Complete the professional and declaration details, then lodge with the ATO as directed in the form's instructions.
Where it goes
The completed objection is lodged with the ATO following the instructions on the form, or the equivalent objection is lodged through Online services for agents. The ATO issues a written objection decision to the taxpayer or their authorised representative.
Keep the practice copy with the client file, including the evidence lodged, since the objection decision may become the basis for tribunal or court review later.
Frequently asked questions
NAT 13044 is a dynamic XFA form. Most PDF viewers, including browsers and online editors, cannot render XFA and instead display the embedded placeholder page. Open the downloaded file in Adobe Acrobat Reader on a desktop to access the form.
No. This is one of the two XFA forms in the ATO library that require Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download it here, complete it in Acrobat Reader, and lodge it per the form's instructions.
The substance is the same, but NAT 13044 is structured for a registered professional lodging on behalf of a client, capturing the agent's details and authority. Self-represented taxpayers use NAT 13471.
Yes. Many practices lodge objections online rather than via the XFA PDF. The grounds, evidence, and time limit requirements are identical whichever channel is used.
It depends on the decision type and the client's situation, and the periods differ across assessments, penalties, and rulings. Confirm the current limit on ato.gov.au, and seek an extension with supporting reasons if lodging late.
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