Advocates
Advocates are organisations that are registered with Revenue NSW. They can speak to Revenue NSW on your behalf to discuss your options to deal with the fine in the best possible way.
Depending on your circumstances, an advocate may help you:
- postpone enforcement action by Revenue NSW
- arrange a payment plan
- apply for a Work and Development Order
- apply for a write off.
If you are unsure what to do about your fine, you should speak to an advocate.
Who are advocates?
Advocates include services like Legal Aid NSW, Community Legal Centres and Financial Counsellors Association of NSW. The organisations register their employees who can assist a vulnerable person to negotiate with Revenue NSW.
While all advocates can speak to Revenue NSW to help someone with a fine, depending on what the organisation does, how they can help is different. For example, financial counselling services may help you:
- work out your financial situation
- help you understand and fill in forms
- advise you about ways to manage your money
- work out a budget
- help negotiate directly with Revenue NSW.
The advocate can assist you so that Revenue NSW is able to fully assess your particular circumstances.
If an advocate from the Advocacy Hotline sets up a payment plan for money to be deducted from your Centrelink benefit, you must be present and agree to the deduction authorisation script. You can also provide authority by completing and signing the 'Payment Plan Application - Individuals' form.
Who do they help?
Advocates generally assist vulnerable clients to speak with Revenue NSW. Vulnerable clients include:
- people with a mental health impairment, cognitive impairment or intellectual disability
- people who are homeless
- people with a serious addiction to drugs, alcohol or volatile substances
- prisoners and people recently released from custody
- people in financial, medical or domestic hardship
- young people (under 18 years).
Even if you are not a vulnerable client, an advocate can discuss your options to deal with the fine. If you are not a vulnerable client, it may mean an advocate can’t use the Revenue NSW’s advocacy hotline. However, an advocate can still help you work out what to do about the fine.
Where to find an advocate
To find an advocate, you may contact: