The ATO is meant to be bringing work back in-house. But its target to cut consultants is ‘woefully inadequate’

Figure revealed this week was so low the Australian Services Union asked if it was a typographical error

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The Australian Taxation Office is aiming to reduce its outsourced work by $500,000 this financial year within its $4.5bn annual operating budget, a figure so small the union says it presumed it was a typo.

Senator Barbara Pocock said the amount, revealed after a Senate Estimates hearing, was “woefully inadequate” for a major agency that should be leading the way on reducing reliance on contractors and consultants.