The accuracy of the content is not guaranteed. Please rely only on the authorised document. The Tax Office is to issue 137,000 Digital Signature Certificates to businesses by mid July and 200,000 by the end of September. The Tax Office is issuing Digital Signature Certificates as a part of its Australian Business Number rollout. Tax Commissioner Michael Carmody today announced that the Tax Office's Certification Authority has commenced the distribution to business of the Digital Signature Certificates that underpin the security of its Internet Lodgement of GST Business Activity Statements. In the past few days businesses have started receiving a CD ROM containing the Tax Office's Electronic Commerce Interface software as well as an e-mail on how to obtain their Certificates. Notifications are also being distributed by Australia Post containing the Personal Identification Code needed to access and decrypt individualised Certificates. "Many thousands of Australian businesses are to benefit from the facility to lodge Business Activity Statements electronically over the Internet and security of information is a crucial attribute of the system," Mr Carmody said. "The Tax Office's Certification Authority uses the Public Key Technology. It is the first Certification Authority to receive full Gatekeeper accreditation from the Office for Government Online". "Our own customers are demanding better ways of dealing with the Tax Office and new technologies are being utilised to ensure we meet this demand," Mr Carmody said. "This is an important part of the Government's Online Strategy. The Tax Office is proud to be at the forefront of the effort to fulfil the Prime Minister's 1997 investment for growth statement '.... That all appropriate services will be provided online by 2001'," he said. "Australia is undergoing major tax reform and the Internet provides new opportunities for the way in which we do business," Mr Carmody said. For more information see http://taxreform.ato.gov.au CANBERRA
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