Ato MCP

What ato-mcp MCP server does

ato-mcp MCP server gives an AI agent access to Australian tax reference material through the Model Context Protocol. Its hosted corpus contains more than 34,500 documents and 286,000 searchable passages, including ATO guidance pages, forms, occupation guides, myTax help, the ITAA 1936, the ITAA 1997, the GST Act, and public rulings. Legislation is point-in-time aware, while withdrawn rulings are marked.

The service is intended for research and structured tax workflows. It can help an agent identify potentially relevant deduction categories, prepare a BAS checklist, calculate depreciation schedules, or review draft-return patterns that may attract ATO scrutiny. Results from workflow tools are structured and include resolvable ATO citations rather than presenting the service as a tax adviser.

How it works

The server exposes both a hosted remote endpoint and an npm package that runs as a stdio bridge. A client can connect to the hosted MCP URL over HTTP and authenticate through a browser, or launch ato-mcp with npx -y ato-mcp. The package allows stdio-based hosts to reach the same hosted service.

Search combines keyword and semantic retrieval. Agents can then retrieve passages, complete documents, document anchors, statutory definitions, and historical threshold values. Cross-references connect rulings with legislation, and the corpus is refreshed monthly. A user-facts capability stores up to 25 onboarding facts, such as business structure, GST registration, investments, superannuation type, and residency, so supported workflows can reuse relevant context.

Setup and configuration

For a stdio-capable client, add a server entry that runs npx with the -y ato-mcp arguments. Installing the package globally with npm is optional. Remote-capable clients can use https://api.ato-mcp.com.au/mcp and complete the sign-in flow opened by the client.

The repository documents direct setup for Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Claude Desktop, and Zed or other stdio hosts. Windsurf can use a streamable-HTTP configuration; Claude Desktop can use either the hosted connector or the npm configuration. No environment variables are specified for the standard setup.

Tools and capabilities

The documented tools include:

• deduction_discovery identifies plausible deduction categories across structures such as sole traders, companies, trusts, partnerships, investors, and SMSF members.
• depreciation_helper produces prime-cost, diminishing-value, instant-write-off, small-business-pool, and Division 43 schedules using the relevant instant asset write-off threshold.
• bas_prep_checklist builds a cited, period-specific checklist covering applicable labels, evidence, and common issues.
• audit_risk_check identifies patterns such as work-related expense versus income concerns, rental anomalies, and unreported crypto, with risk bands and supporting guidance.
• search, get_chunks, get_doc, get_doc_anchors, get_definition, get_threshold, fetch, and stats support retrieval and corpus inspection.

The ato-mcp MCP server is suited to agents that need source-linked answers, document lookup, cross-reference navigation, or repeatable tax research workflows. It does not replace analysis by a registered tax agent.

Limitations and notes

The ato-mcp MCP server provides information infrastructure, not tax advice. It does not assess a user's complete financial circumstances, and its confidence ratings and risk bands are guides rather than professional judgment. Material decisions should be checked with a registered tax agent.

The service is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office. ATO material remains subject to ATO publication terms. The hosted platform and corpus are proprietary, although commercial licensing is available on request. The software is licensed under AGPL-3.0.