Exemption guidance

The Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) acknowledges that agencies may not be able to meet all the requirements of the Digital Experience (DX) Policy in every instance. Where appropriate, agencies can apply for an exemption.

Exemption eligibility

Exemptions should only be sought where there are genuine barriers in applying the standards to a digital service, including:

legacy technology barriers that cannot be reasonably overcome
substantial financial burden associated with modifying a service to meet requirements.

myGov integration exemptions

Specific exemptions for the Digital Access Standard may be available for services considered for integration with myGov.

This may include:

users not having access to myGov
users being ineligible for a myGov account
where it does not make sense for users to have a myGov account
legislative or regulatory barriers preventing the service from being delivered via myGov
circumstances where Services Australia has indicated that it is unable to onboard the service to myGov.

Exemption limits

Exemptions may apply to one or more criteria of a standard mandated by the DX Policy, or to an entire standard. Exemptions are not applied at a whole-of-policy level.

Where an exemption from a standard is granted, it may be permanent, temporary, partial or full. Exemption applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
On request, the DTA can work with agencies to interpret their eligibility for an exemption and support them through the exemption process.

Exemption scenarios

Examples of where a service may be granted an exemption if sufficient evidence is provided.

Sufficient evidence may include enhancement plans or future system changes, in line with the requirements of the relevant standard.

An agency operates a grants system using technology that doesn’t easily support interoperability. This means it is not able to operate in conjunction with other systems.
The agency believes they can meet all Digital Service Standard requirements except Criterion 4 – Connect services. They would be exempt from designing for interoperability and joining services due to the limitations of the existing system.
An agency operates an informational website about their suite of services – the website is available to the public. The agency understands that the new Digital Inclusion Standard is applicable to existing services from 1 January 2026.
The agency does not believe they will meet the deadline for compliance, without significant investment and risk to other priority programs.
An agency is replacing a digital platform that allows tourists to apply for tax refunds for goods they purchased in Australia, that they take with them on a plane or ship when they travel out of the country.
The agency believes they can meet all Digital Access Standard requirements except Criterion 4 – Follow the decision-making framework. In applying the decision-making criteria, the agency determines that most users are tourists who are not eligible for myGov accounts.
This means that myGov is not the best access point for their replacement service.
An agency provides a digital service that supports users who are experiencing extreme circumstances, such as trauma and hardship.
The agency believes they can meet all Digital Performance Standard requirements except Criterion 4 – Measure if your digital service is meeting customer needs, as they don’t feel it’s appropriate to ask their customers for feedback at the time of transaction.

How to apply for an exemption

Agencies should contact the DTA to apply for an exemption. The DTA will provide all necessary information, forms and supporting documents for an exemption application.

Compliance, reporting and exemption guide