doje6863

Dear all, any advice on completing tax returns for the first time? Himself is checking out the tax office website, but I thought I'd check with the experts!! I think burying your head in the sand isnt an option!

thanks, in anticipation

donna

Possums

there is an E Tax option that you can complete on the website but we used an accountant, unlike UK accountants they didnt charge much at all and it made it very easy

joho

I did my sons online last year and it was really easy so if you have a very straightforward return then do it youself. We have salary packaging and stuff on ours so we always use an accountant which costs about 100 dollars and is claimable too.

Jo

Mikeyc

I’ve always done mine online and will be doing this one online again.

You just download the program from the ATO website and it’s very straight forward and simple, select the direct payment (straight into your bank account) and your return will be sitting in your bank account exactly 1 week later.

I also prefer the online one as it tells you how much your refund is before you lodge it (so you can go back and change/edit things if you need a little more, lol)

It’s also clear on what other things you can claim for, like every load of washing you did is $1 (over a year, it adds up, lol) and things like that.

My friends in the same job have always gone to an accountant, I usually end up getting a lot more by doing it myself online, plus I dont have to pay anyone for it. It's much better.

Mikey

quoll

Absolutely get all your stuff together and do it on line - the thought of doing it is worse than the actual chore of getting it done. If you have complex circumstances like income from overseas, pay outs or other stuff like that then go to an accountant the first time and see what they do then you can copy it the next time. I usually do etax but this year things are a bit more complex so will head off to someone - you can, as someone already said, claim the cost of the accountant back on next year's return. You have until 31 October to get it done so you can bury your head under the doona until then.

worzel

Pay an accountant to do it the first year. They will surely find more things that you can claim back than it costs you. The following year, you can probably do it yourself (and you can claim last year's accountant fees against tax too).

gparkes

Does your tax return get posted out to you?? home/work or is it up to you to get one from somewhere?

gparkes

Ohh and also does anyone know of any accountant that does them in melbourne area?? this is our first year in oz so maybe they will be ale to see what we can claim and what not and then do it our selfs next year as advised here

GTFC

Anyone suggest a decent accountant in WA, prefer north of the river as live in Tapping

cheers sean

Mikeyc

Do you mean the form you lodge or the actually Tax return payment or the group cert?

Group Certificate:
Your employer will post this out to you within the next week or two; some employers will have it online at work for you to print out yourself (that’s how mine does it).

Lodging:
You can go to an accountant
You can pick up a Tax Return booklet for free from your local Newsagent, complete and send off
You can download the online tax from the ATO website and do yourself online.

Return Payment:
Which ever way you lodge your return you can choose to receive the payment by Cheque or Direct Deposit into your bank account


Mikey

worzel

Elaine Mullen is on Grand Boulevard Joondalup; round the corner from the Old Bailey

Possums

this probably goes without saying but if your a tradie then save receipts from any tools, workwear etc and if your partner isnt working you can claim for them.

I am not working so didnt think I had to do anything but accountant told me to complete the E tax online as I could claim tax back on our savings, I would not have known anything about that?