The ATO is taking payments before they reach you.
- Settlement possible within 2 business days with some lenders, once the file is complete
- Borrow $50K to $5M to pay the tax debt the notice is collecting
- Business owners with a garnisheed bank account, redirected customer payments, or card settlements going to the ATO
- Covers the full ATO balance, or enough to put a workable arrangement in place
- Paperwork to suit: full-doc (tax returns), low-doc or alt-doc (BAS, bank statements or an accountant's letter instead) and no-doc, from 90+ lenders
You check the business account and the balance is lower than it should be, or a customer rings to say they have been told to pay the ATO instead of you. Payroll is due on Thursday and suppliers are waiting. A garnishee notice moves money that would normally reach the business straight to the ATO, and it keeps doing so until the debt is paid or the ATO changes it. Garnishee notice finance is property-secured lending that pays the tax debt behind the notice, so there is no balance left for the notice to collect. Whether and when the ATO withdraws the notice is the ATO's decision. Joseph Farhat and his team can look at the debt, the property you have, and the dates you are working to, and tell you quickly what is achievable.
Who we can help access finance
- Business owners whose bank has received a notice and is sending funds from the business account to the ATO.
- Businesses whose trade customers have been told to pay part or all of their invoices to the ATO.
- Retailers and hospitality businesses whose card settlements are being redirected under a notice to their merchant provider.
- Owners selling a property who have learned a notice has been given to a party to the sale.
- Businesses with a wage run or a large supplier payment due within days of the first deduction.
- Owners with equity in a home, investment property or business premises who would rather clear the ATO balance in one go from that equity.
- Businesses that are trading well but carry a tax debt from a hard period and want it moved onto set repayments.
How Garnishee Notice Finance Works
A garnishee notice is a legal notice the ATO issues under section 260-5 of Schedule 1 to the Taxation Administration Act 1953. It requires a third party who holds money for you, or owes you money, to pay it to the ATO instead. Banks, employers, trade debtors, merchant card providers and parties to a property sale can all receive one. Unless the ATO varies or withdraws it, a notice can remain in force until the debt is cleared. According to the ATO, a taxpayer who puts suitable alternative payment arrangements in place may be able to negotiate for the notice to be varied or withdrawn. Any change to the notice is the ATO's decision.
Finance pays the tax debt. A lender advances funds secured over property, the funds go to the ATO, and the business repays the lender on a fixed schedule. Once the debt is paid in full, there is no amount left for the notice to collect. Whether and when the ATO then withdraws the notice is still up to the ATO, so ask your accountant to confirm the next step with the ATO. Joseph Farhat and his team review the balance, the security available and the cash flow of the business. They then shortlist lenders from a panel of 90+ bank, non-bank, and specialist lenders that fund garnisheed businesses and can meet your dates.
Settled With Joe arranges finance only. We are not accountants or tax advisers, and we do not deal with the ATO on your behalf. Where there is doubt the business can pay its debts when they fall due, the first call is to a registered insolvency practitioner or your accountant, ahead of any new borrowing.
What Lenders Assess for Garnishee Notice Finance
The ATO balance in full
lenders want a current ATO account statement so the loan pays the whole debt, or a clearly agreed part of it.
Who holds the notice
a notice on the bank account affects cash flow differently to one on customers or a card provider, and lenders read the bank statements with that in mind.
Property security
the value and equity in the property offered set the loan size, rate and term, measured as the loan-to-value ratio (LVR), the loan as a share of the property's value.
Cash flow after the deductions stop
lenders look at what the business earns before the ATO deductions, to test whether the new repayment can be met.
How the debt built up
an illness, a contract that ended or a customer who paid late is understood. Several years of unlodged returns is harder to place.
Lodgements
most lenders look for BAS and returns that are current, or a firm date for catching up.
Other commitments
existing loans, equipment finance and other short-term debt all reduce how much a lender can approve.
The Garnishee Notice Finance Process: What to Expect
- Tell Joseph Farhat and his team which party received the notice, the ATO balance, your next payroll or supplier date, and any property available as security.
- Gather a current ATO account statement, three to six months of business bank statements, and property details. Your accountant can usually pull the ATO statement within a day.
- We shortlist panel lenders who fund ATO debts against property and can settle before your key date, and explain the trade-offs between them.
- You receive a written approval showing rate, fees, term and security. We walk through the total repayment with you before anything is signed.
- On settlement the lender pays the ATO directly. Your accountant can then confirm receipt with the ATO and ask whether the notice will be varied or withdrawn.
Indicative Finance Options
| Lender Type | Indicative Rate | Max LVR | Typical Loan Range | Loan Term | Speed to Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank | Seldom lends just to clear a garnisheed tax debt. Sometimes possible as part of a larger property refinance. | ||||
| Non-Bank Lenders | From ~9.5% p.a. | 75% max | $50K to $2M | 1 to 12 months | Within 2 business days |
| Private Finance | From ~1.2% per month | 75% max | $100K to $5M | 1 to 24 months | Available for unique scenarios |
Indicative figures only. Actual rates and terms depend on your project, financial position, property location, and lender assessment at the time of application. Rates are subject to change.
Why borrowers choose Settled With Joe for garnishee notice finance
Built around your pay dates
we ask about payroll and supplier dates up front, and choose lenders that can work to them.
We represent you, not the lender
Joseph Farhat and his team act for you from the day the notice lands until the ATO has been paid.
Straight about the notice
we will not tell you a loan lifts a garnishee. We will tell you what the loan pays and who decides what happens next.
Lenders who read garnisheed statements
some lenders on the panel understand why deposits are short and assess the trading behind them.
Fewer marks on your file
the scenario goes to the lender best suited to it, not to several at once, because each credit enquiry is recorded on your credit file, and your next facility will be judged on that file.
A wide panel to work from
90+ bank, non-bank, and specialist lenders, compared on what your property and trading can support.
Private finance for unique scenarios
if the scenario sits outside bank and non-bank policy, we can introduce you to private finance options.
Usually no direct cost to you
as a broker we are typically paid by the lender when the loan settles.
An honest answer early
if money is already leaving the account, call before you apply anywhere and you will hear plainly what can and cannot be done.
Frequently asked questions
What is an ATO garnishee notice?
A garnishee notice requires a third party who holds money for you, or owes you money, to pay it to the ATO instead. The power comes from section 260-5 of Schedule 1 to the Taxation Administration Act 1953, and the ATO reports issuing more than 15,000 of these notices in the 2024-25 financial year. Garnishee notice finance is borrowing, generally against property, that pays the tax debt the notice relates to.
Will clearing the debt lift the notice?
The notice relates to the debt. Once the debt is paid in full, the ATO has no amount left to collect under it. Varying or withdrawing the notice is still the ATO's decision, and we cannot promise when or how it will act. Talk to your accountant about confirming the payment with the ATO and asking about the notice once funds have landed.
Can I still get finance with a garnishee in place?
Yes, in many cases. Several lenders on our panel fund ATO debts against property while a notice is active, because the loan is paying the same debt the notice is collecting. Expect them to ask for the full ATO balance, recent bank statements and details of the property on offer. A lower debt against good equity is the simplest file to place. Joseph Farhat and his team can tell you at the outset if your scenario can be funded.
Will lenders see it?
Expect them to. Lenders review recent business bank statements, so payments to the ATO from a garnisheed account will usually show. Most lenders also ask for a current ATO account statement. Telling the lender at the start is the better path, because a notice found halfway through an application can slow it down when you have no time to spare. Joseph Farhat and his team will present it upfront to lenders who already fund this situation.
Can the ATO send a notice to my customers?
Yes. The ATO can issue a garnishee notice to trade debtors, meaning customers who owe your business money, as well as to banks, employers, merchant card providers and parties to a property sale. A customer who receives one is required to pay the ATO instead of you. If customers have started calling about a notice, bring the dates and amounts to the first conversation with Joseph Farhat and his team, and keep your accountant involved.
Can a payment arrangement change the notice?
Possibly. According to the ATO, a taxpayer who sets up suitable alternative payment arrangements may be able to negotiate for the notice to be varied or withdrawn. Whether it agrees is the ATO's decision. Your accountant is usually the right person to have that conversation. Where an arrangement needs a lump sum, or the ATO balance is better paid in full, Joseph Farhat and his team can look at whether property-secured funding can provide it.
Can I get garnishee notice finance with low-doc or no-doc?
Often, yes. With solid equity behind the loan, a number of panel lenders look first at the property and the repayment plan, and less at full financials. Some take bank statements or an accountant's letter instead of tax returns, and some no-doc commercial options exist. Less paperwork generally costs more and lowers the maximum LVR. Most lenders still make up-to-date lodgements a condition of the loan.
Do you work with borrowers with bad credit?
Yes, we do. A default, a late payment or a court judgment is not a dead end, and nobody here will make the conversation uncomfortable. A hard trading period often shows on a credit file as well, and those marks say little about the equity you hold or how the business trades today. A number of panel lenders put more weight on the property and the repayment plan than on the credit history, pricing the risk instead of turning it away. Raise it in the first call, so the file reaches a suitable lender first and your report does not collect extra enquiries. Joseph Farhat and his team will be straight with you about what is possible before anything is lodged.
Why work with Settled With Joe to arrange your garnishee notice finance?
Because one conversation replaces a round of applications while deposits are still being diverted. The self-employed owners and company directors who come to us with a garnishee usually have a fixed date: wages this week, a supplier who has stopped credit, card takings redirected to the ATO, or a customer withholding an invoice because of a notice. We see these situations often, and you will not be judged for being in one. Lenders focus on the equity in the property and whether the business can carry a fixed repayment once the deductions stop. With 90+ bank, non-bank, and specialist lenders on the panel, a strong file can still reach a bank at a lower rate, and a tight deadline does not leave you without options. We are in Sydney and arrange this funding for businesses across Australia. Joseph Farhat and his team will tell you early, and honestly, whether we can help and what can realistically happen before your next pay date.
Do you give financial advice?
No. We do not guide you on your finances, nor give financial advice. We focus on outcomes and solutions of presenting your unique scenario to the right lender so you can access funding in a timely and compliant manner.
Do you help with garnishee notice finance outside Sydney?
Yes. Settled With Joe is based in Sydney and arranges garnishee notice finance Australia-wide, for metro and regional businesses. Clients come to us from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Canberra, and from regional centres such as Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, and Toowoomba. Lender appetite for property security varies by postcode, so Joseph Farhat and his team match your property and business to the panel lenders active in that area.
