Tax & Advisory Services for ATO Top 500 Private Groups and Large Enterprises
Trusted advisers to Australia’s most complex and sophisticated businesses
Operating within the ATO’s Top 500 population brings a level of regulatory scrutiny, governance expectation and tax complexity that demands more than technical competence. It demands advisers with direct, real-world experience navigating the ATO and the commercial judgment to protect your group’s interests under sustained scrutiny.
Economos advises Top 500 private groups, large family enterprises and significant Australian businesses on their most complex tax, structuring and compliance challenges. Our partner-led approach means that at every stage – from ATO engagement to high-value transactions – you have direct access to experienced chartered accountants who understand how to operate at this level.
What the ATO Top 500 Classification Means for Your Business
The ATO’s Top 500 program covers approximately Australia’s largest and most economically significant private groups. Businesses within this population are subject to continuous monitoring, enhanced transparency requirements and a higher standard of governance than the broader business community.
Top 500 groups typically face:
- Continuous ATO engagement, risk reviews and justified trust programs
- High-risk tax and governance classifications requiring active management
- Enhanced justification and documentation requirements across group transactions
- Significant reputational, financial and compliance exposure if obligations are not met
Advising at this level requires not only technical excellence in Australian tax law, but demonstrated experience dealing directly with ATO case teams, auditors and regulators, and the confidence to advocate effectively on your behalf.
Who We Work With
We act for business owners, boards, family offices, CFOs and in-house tax teams within ATO Top 500 groups across a broad range of industries, including:
- Large private groups and family-owned enterprises
- Multinational and foreign-owned businesses operating in Australia
- Significant property, construction and development groups
- Private equity-backed and investor-owned businesses
- Mining, resources and energy enterprises
- Healthcare, aged care and professional services groups
- Wholesale, distribution and manufacturing operations
Our Approach to Top 500 Advisory
Top 500 clients require advisers who are calm under scrutiny, precise in their advice and commercial in their execution. Generic tax advice is not appropriate at this level – and we do not provide it.
Every engagement is tailored to the specific size, structure, risk profile and objectives of the group. We combine deep technical knowledge of Australian tax law with practical experience of how the ATO approaches and assesses Top 500 businesses, giving our clients a genuine advantage in managing their obligations and protecting their position.
Many of our Top 500 clients have engaged us across multiple years and economic cycles. We see ourselves not as transactional advisers, but as long-term partners committed to sustainable growth, robust compliance and wealth preservation across generations.
Why Top 500 Groups Choose Economos
- AFR Top 100 Accounting Firm with demonstrated experience advising Australia’s largest private groups
- Deep technical expertise in ATO Top 500 engagement, justified trust and large business compliance
- Partner-led engagements – senior involvement at every stage, not delegated to junior staff
- Proven track record managing complex ATO reviews, audits and dispute resolution
- Integrated advice across tax, structuring, governance, transactions and succession
- Clear, board-ready communication – technical rigour delivered in plain commercial language
- Absolute discretion in handling sensitive, high-stakes advisory matters
Our Services for ATO Top 500 & Large Enterprise Clients
Our comprehensive accounting and tax services for ATO Top 500 & large enterprise clients include:
Contact our business accountants
Economos is staffed by a passionate team of accounting and finance professionals. Our experienced and globally connected Directors oversee a team of over 50 chartered accountants and certified financial advisors who are personally invested in our clients’ success.
Frequently Asked Questions
The ATO’s Top 500 program covers approximately Australia’s largest privately owned groups and major enterprises – those considered to have the greatest economic significance and, accordingly, the highest compliance expectations. If your group falls within this population, you will typically be subject to continuous ATO monitoring, annual risk reviews and justified trust assessment. Economos can help you understand your classification, manage your ATO relationship proactively, and ensure your governance and documentation meet the ATO’s expectations at this level.
Justified trust is the ATO’s framework for determining whether a large business is paying the right amount of tax. To achieve justified trust, a group must demonstrate strong tax governance, accurate reporting and sound internal controls – supported by high-quality documentation. The ATO uses this framework to decide how much scrutiny to apply to a group. Businesses that achieve justified trust face less intensive engagement; those that don’t can expect more frequent reviews and a greater burden of proof. Economos helps Top 500 groups build the governance frameworks and documentation needed to satisfy justified trust requirements
We take a proactive, structured approach to ATO engagement. This means preparing technically robust position papers before issues arise, maintaining open and professional communication with ATO case teams, and managing the flow of information carefully to protect your group’s interests. Where disputes do arise, we have experience negotiating resolutions directly with the ATO, including alternative dispute resolution and, where necessary, formal objection and litigation support coordinated with specialist tax counsel.
Yes. We advise Top 500 groups with cross-border structures, foreign income, transfer pricing considerations and international tax treaty obligations. This includes Australian businesses operating offshore, foreign-owned multinationals with Australian operations, and large private groups with international investment interests. For highly complex or jurisdiction-specific matters, we work alongside specialist international tax advisers to ensure the advice is comprehensive and coordinated.
We work closely with in-house tax teams, CFOs, general counsel and boards, as well as directly with business owners and families. At the Top 500 level, many of our engagements involve supporting an internal finance function with complex technical questions, second opinions on significant transactions, or specialist advice that sits outside the day-to-day capacity of the internal team. We are experienced in operating as an extension of your in-house capability – discreetly, efficiently and at the level of quality your organisation expects.
The earlier the better. The compliance obligations, governance expectations and ATO engagement that come with Top 500 classification are significantly more demanding than those facing the broader large business population, and preparation takes time. We recommend engaging specialist advisers before you reach the threshold, so that your tax governance framework, documentation practices and ATO relationship management are already in strong shape when the additional scrutiny begins. If you are approaching this level, we welcome a confidential discussion about what it means for your group and how to prepare.
Contact Us
If your group is within- or approaching – the ATO Top 500, we can help you navigate the obligations, expectations and opportunities that come with operating at this level.
Contact Economos to arrange a confidential discussion directly with a partner.