Our people
Tax Ombudsman
Ruth Owen CBE GAICD
Ruth stepped into the Taxation Ombudsman on 15 July 2024 for a 5-year term.
Ruth brings a wealth of experience in tax, public administration, complaints management and dispute resolution. She has spent more than 30 years in various senior leadership positions across the public sector in Australia and the United Kingdom (UK).
Ruth was previously a Director General and Tax Commissioner of HM Revenue and Customs in the UK, Head of Profession for operational delivery in the UK Civil Service and Deputy CEO of Jobcentre Plus, the UK employment service and welfare service delivery agency.
In moving to Australia, Ruth joined EY Advisory as the lead partner in Human Resources Services, providing professional services to Government and community sector clients, including publishing guidance on complaints management and supporting the National Redress Scheme for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.
Most recently, Ruth spent over 3 years in NSW Government, as a Deputy Secretary at Education and then leading the delivery of public sector reform in the NSW Premier’s Department.
Ruth was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the UK for her public service in reducing unemployment during the Global Financial Crisis.
Deputy Tax Ombudsman, Reviews
Duy Dam BCom (Hons) LLB (Hons) LLM
Duy has over 20 years experience in the Australian Public Service, having worked in audit, litigation, and public administration. In his current role, he leads the Tax Ombudsman’s national program of systemic reviews and has led investigations into dispute resolution, debt collection, superannuation, and services for agents that have resulted in process and policy improvements.
Previously, Duy served as a Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne, where he co-developed and lectured in the inaugural Tax Administration unit within the Master of Laws program.
He holds a Master of Laws, a Bachelor of Laws (Hons), and a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) from Monash University, as well as a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the College of Law.
Deputy Tax Ombudsman, Complaints
This role is currently vacant.
The team
Our team consists of experts in tax, law, accounting, finance and service delivery. Dedicated professionals who work to ensure fairness, accountability and transparency in Australia’s tax system.
Having a common passion for government service delivery, driving outcomes for people who need it the most and helping the tax paying community. Our team consists of less than 40 staff.
Our budget and staffing levels are determined by Government. We publish an annual report that details our current budget and staffing levels.