I am ex public practice accountant and now business owner receiving this call.
Here is a hint for the ATO as some of you profess to be.
If you are contacting somebody you should be able to give them their name and some form of info to prove you know them. Otherwise you will be treated as a scam. Also, the number comes up as 'unknown'. I am not going to trust it, and anybody else who does is crazy.

this is a scam

Caller: 1300 466 859

I can confirm this is a genuine ATO number and is listed about 2/3 of the way down this page. https://www.ato.gov.au/about-ato/contact-us/
The wait time was 3 mins compared with a stated >30 mins when I called their main 131142 number. The choice is yours, but I'd recommend you call them back.

Caller: its the ATO

https://www.ato.gov.au/about-ato/contact-us/

If you scroll down under payment support bam there you go... not a scam idiots … USE YOUR HEAD AND EYES

I work for the ATO , this is not a scam number we are from the early intervention department. If we ask for your TFN its only because we need a way to identify you ... not cause we want your details... we will never ask for your bank details ..we ask security questions are ARE RELATED TO YOU.... we will never ask on a want to know basis... If you do get one of these calls there is NO NEED TO BE RUDE.. we are there to assist you not cop abuse from you .. Our life mission isn't to scam you ... we need to legally tell you that the call is being recorded and give you the option of hearing the privacy notice... a scammer wouldn't they tell you a warrant it out for your arrest we do not do this

I received a call from this number and was suspicious, I checked the ATO website and this is what I found
Quote
Payment support (call-back line) – if we reach out to you to offer help, you can phone us back on this number.
Only phone these numbers if we contact you by phone, SMS or letter. For general enquiries use our Debt and lodgment line. If we phone you, you won't see a number on caller ID.

1300 880 217
or
1300 466 859

I called the first number and all that I was required to ID myself was normal when calling ATO numbers, I was asked for the reference number that was given to me in the initial call.
The operator told me that ATO has now started calling for two things, Outstanding Lodgements and Outstanding Debts and that if someone has either of these they can expect a call. Its not malicious and you are not asked for any personal information

Caller: Claim to be ATO

This is definitely a SCAM.

I had a message from an Indian voice with call centre noise and commotion in the background… definitely scammers.

DO NOT CALL BACK!!! It is very concerning that comments on this page seem to make out this is genuine.

If you would like to call the ATO then call them on their real number, not this one. If you don’t know their real number, you can always check it and verify in several ways. Look at your last communication you have received from the ATO on a letterhead or statement, or google it, or go to the ATO website to find it. It is definitely NOT THIS NUMBER so DO NOT CALL BACK!

I currently do not have a debt, yet I got this scam call.

If you do have a genuine debt with the ATO, you or your accountant will get a letter from them. They won’t call you from this number. Alternatively you can check by logging in via their website or connect though your MyGov account, where you can also make arrangements with them to pay it off.

Be careful, there are many alternatives available to genuinely contact the ATO, and you are a fool if you reply using this scammers number.

Caller: ATO

This is a genuine number. The ATO chasing up unpaid tax. I had paid mine but had used an incorrect Ref number - so that needed to be resolved.
If you doubt the call - you can call the ATO scam line and ask - but this is completely kosher. They will not ask you for your bank details, TFN or anything else. They will simply verify you are who you are (DoB, Name, Phone number, Accountant) and inform you of the unpaid debt that only the ATO could have info on.

Caller: 1300 466 859

It's scam.

If you check the ATO website, you will see this number listed as the Payment Support call back line. The ATO does run campaigns where they call people. After checking the ATO site to determine if the number is legitimate, all you need to do is call back. This guarantees that you are indeed calling the ATO. If someone rings you back before you call the ATO, a genuine ATO employee has no problem with you ending the call and calling back.

If you look at the scam page on the ATO website, it will give you all the information you need to make an informed choice about whether to call back or not.

Caller: Scammers

If you have a doubt, log into mygov
Check if the ato had sent you any mail.
Check if you have a debt!
Done.
I worked at the ato. In debt collection. Yes we called, but not out of the blue.

Even if there is a new programme where they are trying to collect debts, there will be a trail of the ato trying to email / mail you. Log in and check.
DO NOT GIVE PERSONAL DETAILS WITH OUT DUE DILIGENCE.

If you feel intimidated by a call, hang up. Simple as that and do your research via mygov and you contact the ato.

Caller: Scam

It’s a scam. I got a call this morning. I don’t work, being a single mother. I also do my tax return due to receiving child support. I gave nothing away to the caller and he kept insisting I have a debt 🤣🤣

Caller: Quan

Got an Unknown call from this number who left a VM to call back within 2-3 days on 1300 446 859. Spoke good English, but in a poor way but knew my full name and gave a reference number. I planned to ignore this call as I had no other correspondence. As I had time, I decided to investigate.

The phone number is on the ATO site. Based on the reason she called (overdue lodgement), I called an alternate number. Told the person I called I wasn't planning on identifying myself with TFN nor DOB - I would give them the reference number provided on the VM. They knew about the call few hours earlier as it is logged in their database. Call was due to overdue lodgement for 2000 and 2021.

I assume as I am a FT employee and they receive my PAYG yearly earning summary directly since 2 years ago they can chase me up. They didn't mention the prior 2 years though. :D

NOT A SCAM. Will update if proved wrong.

Caller: Some non native speaker

I worked at the ATO in debt collection.
This is a SCAM. They will take your money. If you still don't believe me, ask them to mail you the debt request. Simple. Do NOT confirm details.... This is not how the tax office did this.
They will not threaten you, or force you.
Also, all at the tax office speak perfect English. Australian native speakers.

If you want, ask questions that only you and the tax office would know. Confirm atleast 3 things. Previous address, previous employer, ask them to transfer you to the general enquiries line. Ask them for their ATO identifier... It is an alpha numeric with 5 characters. Eg ghk7a
Then who ever you speak to at the tax office can confirm they exist as ligitimate public servants.

These are all common sense queries when you think something is up.

Absolute SCAM just called me today! ATO will always send letter first.

Caller: Private number

I received a " private number" about 8:00 (night time) she said that she is from early intervention dept how could I know who is she, where she working from ? And I asked her name then she told that Serena Hri, never heard this last name before

Caller: Foreign accent pretending to be the ATO

Scam call from someone pretending to be from the ATO and asking for my wife's personal information (DOB, TFN etc).

Confirm was scam. called ATO via their correct number

SCAM. Sounded very professional however the name on my birth certificate and all 'official' records is different to the name that I am known by and what is publicly accessible. The message used the 'wrong' name plus all my ATO dealings are through my accountant - ATO will never contact me directly.

I had a voicemail asking me to call this number. I check the contacts on the ATO website and this number is not on there. I think its a fraud.