Oz taxback

zootroid

Just wondering if anyone knows how long it takes to claim back your tax? I know the tax year ends at the end of June, but approx how long does it take for a refund to come through?

hussey

avg 1-2 weeks
can all be done online and goes through in no time

zootroid

hussey wrote: »

avg 1-2 weeks
can all be done online and goes through in no time

Cheers!

FreeAnd..

Originally Posted by hussey
avg 1-2 weeks
can all be done online and goes through in no time

Or Maybe a lot longer this year -

http://www.news.com.au/business/money/story/0,28323,25407197-5017313,00.html

MILLIONS of taxpayers have been told not to hold their breath for their refund this year after the tax office became bogged down sending out cheques for the Government stimulus package.

A backlog has built up at the Australian Taxation Office, which has been described as "understaffed and under the pump".

The group Taxpayers Australia said it will be "logistically impossible" for the ATO to resume business as usual in time for the yearly flood of people expecting a refund within two weeks of lodging their group certificates in July, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Taxpayers Australia spokesman Roger Timms said the ATO was seriously under-resourced.

"There are simply not enough people in the ATO to push the buttons," Mr Timms said.

Mr Timms said the ATO was "under enormous pressure" after being given, at short notice, the mammoth task of processing eight million tax bonus cheques.

"There were many political considerations in all of this -- the tax office was basically told to get the money into the market place," he said.

"The ATO has had to deal with cutbacks and there are greater duties being handled by fewer people after contractors brought in to help out were not renewed.

"I'd be amazed if they can turn this around in just eight weeks.

"When people have needed their refunds like never before, they're going to be waiting."

Although the ATO will pay interest on delayed refunds, that would be an expense effectively paid by taxpayers, he added.

"That money will be coming out of consolidated revenue at a time when this country can least afford it," Mr Timms said.

"There are many tax agents actually advertising the fact that they are set up to process the quick 14-day turnaround and now they are at the mercy of a system struggling to deliver."

One Sydney accountant, who did not want to be identified, said the ATO had told him that a client, owed $1 million since January, would have to be patient.

"It's all very well to be assured about being paid interest on the amount owing but it's nowhere near the interest rates charged by credit cards and my client's bills go up by 18 per cent every month."

Taxpayers Australia said complaining or just inquiring about a refund's status created more strain on the ATO's operations.

The National Tax Agents Association sympathised with the ATO.

"The problems associated with the payment of the cheques has had a ripple effect on other aspects of our members' day-to-day business," NTAA spokesman Andrew Gardiner said.

A spokesman for the ATO last night denied the tax bonus payments would impact on the 2008-09 returns.

Hopefully the spokesman for the ATO can be trusted

hussey

Oh as a FYI, anyone on the 457 visa doesn't need to pay Medicare levy, as we are exempt.

https://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/migrants/visitors/ireland-nz.shtml

saved me a few $$ last year

mp3ireland2

Hi,
Does anybody know if there is any advantage to using a company to get your tax back and paying them to do it?
Some companys charge 12.5% which is crazy!
A flat fee of $99 is the cheapest i've seen, but have no idea why people would use this? Is it just laziness or can they get more money for you somehow?

hussey

mp3ireland2 wrote: »

Hi,
Does anybody know if there is any advantage to using a company to get your tax back and paying them to do it?
Some companys charge 12.5% which is crazy!
A flat fee of $99 is the cheapest i've seen, but have no idea why people would use this? Is it just laziness or can they get more money for you somehow?

as a backpacker then no, there is no reason, it is really really simple.

If however you need professional advice, or have complicated tax return, then a tax agent can be quite good, e.g. can tax on flights, medicare etc
(Not taxback.com etc)


so unless you need to claim stuff which you don't know how to then just do it yourself ;-), or I could do it for you for 5% (Joking)

ifumust82

It is true that 457 visa holders (or WHV) don't pay the medicare levy but you have to prove that your not eligible to receive a Medicare card. This means getting an exemption certificate from medicare which takes 12/14 weeks to process.

Now the first year I did a tax return I did it online and ticked the box saying I don't pay medicare,last year I went to an accountant and was told about this exemption certificate. I told him the previous year I did it online without having an exemption and he said I should of had it in case I had been audited.....

Saying that friends of mine have gone into tax agents and nothing has been said about this,all depends who you go to really