The ATO on Thursday revealed the Serious Financial Crimes Taskforce has reported a surge in fraudulent claims for large GST refunds across a "number of industries". 

GST is a tax calculated at a standard rate of 10 per cent on most goods, services and other items sold and consumed in Australia.

The tax is paid by the consumer, with the sum then passed on to the government from the business.

Businesses registered for GST can claim it back by submitting GST credits while lodging their Business Activity Statements (BAS).

Authorities are cracking down on businesses which get involved in schemes attempting to cheat the GST system in an effort to gain higher refunds. 

"The arrangements that have been observed involve sophisticated structuring arrangements between inter-related parties undertaken to obscure transactions and disguise artificial or fraudulent arrangements, resulting in purported high value GST refunds," an ATO statement read. 

The ATO said investigators have identified "multiple specific groups who are involved in commercial arrangements which seek to exploit the GST rules".

Deputy Commissioner and Serious Financial Crimes Taskforce Chief John Ford warned there will be consequences for business owners who engage in illegal tax and super schemes.  

"Those who seek to defraud the tax and super systems will get caught and face the full force of the law," Mr Ford said in a statement on Thursday.

"We are equipped with the resources, sophisticated data matching, analytics capability, and intelligence sharing relationships to uncover even the most elaborate financial crime."

The ATO said honest taxpayers are being disadvantaged by those who use fraudulent refunds to further fund business ventures or personal purchases. 

"We are targeting businesses who are participating in these schemes to ensure a level playing field for those who follow the rules," Mr Ford said. 

"Not only is this behaviour putting honest businesses at risk, but it also takes funding away from vital community services such as hospitals, schools and transport."

The ATO has urged anyone involved in illegal invoicing or financial arrangements to come forward voluntarily rather than wait to be contacted by authorities. 

Members of the public can make an anonymous tip-off of suspected tax crime or shadow economy activity by contacting the ATO on 1800 060 062 or online.