The Australian tax Office (ATO) has warned small business operators employing temporary visa staff to ensure all tax obligations are up to date.

Following Immigration Minister Brendan O’Connor’s declaration that more than 10,000 foreign workers may be taking advantage of the 457 visa system, the ATO has announced it will carry out a data-matching exercise targeting certain temporary visa holders, which includes both working holiday visas and the 457 visas.

The ATO has requested the department of Immigration and Citizenship provide personal contact details of individuals who have been issued with a visa within various specified sub-class classifications during the period January 1, 2012 and June 30, 2014.

In April, Minister O’Connor said the highest growth rate of people holding 457 visas in Australia was in accommodation and food industries.

‘When we see evidence that something is not right with the program – such as spikes in particular sectors that are out of step with growth in those industries – we must take action to stamp out any rorts,” Mr O’Connor said, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald.

as a major employer of staff on these kinds of visa, the hospitality industry can expect to be targeted in the ATO’s crackdown.