Medicare Levy Exemption Certificate/Tax return

bakedalaska

Hey Lads, Iv been on Oz roughly 3 years (on 457) and for the past 3 years I have been claiming the medicare levy exemption. Basically, it states that any temp. resident of Ireland can claim the levy for the extent of there stay. I do my own tax return and from what I can see its worth about $800 in tax back each year.

A couple of weeks ago, I got a letter from the ATO stating that i owe them $900 for the year ended 30 June 2010. Also, just to state I on a WHV for that whole year and never even went to the doctor never mind claiming for the medicare.

I am a bit confused however that the Irish are entitled to medicare over her but at the same time can claim an exemption for tax purposes.

Iv applied for an exemption cert from Medicare but its taking ages. Applied for it nearly 4 months ago. I am going to lodge an appeal once I get it.

Has anyone any advice or anyone ever been in the same situation??

Thanks

hussey

Been in exact same situation, once you get your cert send it off to ATO and they'll scrub it. I sent my cert off and ATO sent a letter saying all good

You might want to give Medicare a call though 4 months is a bit much.

Officially you are meant to have your cert before you claim it.

hussey

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=72661638#post72661638

This post explains what I was sent, so I rang medicare, got them to repost my claim form, then sent it off to ATO - a few weeks later got letter from them saying it is all good.

Mellor

bakedalaska wrote: »

Also, just to state I on a WHV for that whole year and never even went to the doctor never mind claiming for the medicare.

going to the doctor/claiming medicare has nothing to do with being exempt from paying for it.

I am a bit confused however that the Irish are entitled to medicare over her but at the same time can claim an exemption for tax purposes.

Irish aren't entitled to medicare.


As above, your cert should sort it out.

bakedalaska

Cheers, rang medicare today, cert in post as we speak so hopefully it should all be sorted out soon.

Its amazing how many Irish people dont know about claiming the medicare exemption. Worth a good bit of money. I even had mates who went to accountants who told them that they werent entitled to it. Strange!!

Anyways, thanks for the help

jank

Same, did my tax return last year with an accountant and tbh he didnt know much about this exemption. I had to educate him up on it. Only reason I used him was that ATO apparently are less likely to audit you if you use one. Not sure what I will do this year.

karl bracken

I assume this is the 1 or 1.5 % fee that people who get medicare pay every year?

hussey

karl bracken wrote: »

I assume this is the 1 or[1.5 % fee that people who get medicare pay every year?

Most people pay 1.5%, if you have low income you do not have to pay.
http://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/content.aspx?doc=/content/00250854.htm&page=2

There is also a Medicare levy surcharge for people earning over 77k a year and DO NOT have private health insurance.
http://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/content.aspx?doc=/content/00250854.htm&page=11

Mellor

karl bracken wrote: »

I assume this is the 1 or 1.5 % fee that people who get medicare pay every year?

As above, standard levy is 1.5% (unless you earn less than around $20k)
And above 77k you pay another 1% on top is no health insurance.

But its not for all people who get medicare. Yuo are exempt if you are a foreign resident. So you could get medicare benefits and still be exempt, doesn't apply to the ROI, but does to the UK for example.

ciaran kinvara2012

how would you go about claiming medicare back when your back in ireland, i was in oz for 4 tax years and never got it yet, does the medicare exemption claim have to be sent by snail mail and it also says that a police man or justice of peace has to sign it, will it work if its an irish police or what i wonder. thanks

kinggriff

would someone on a PR visa like the RSMS be entitled to this tax exemption?

hussey

kinggriff wrote: »

would someone on a PR visa like the RSMS be entitled to this tax exemption?

No because they get Medicare, it's an 'exemption'
Also what is a RSMS ?

hussey

ciaran kinvara2012 wrote: »

how would you go about claiming medicare back when your back in ireland, i was in oz for 4 tax years and never got it yet, does the medicare exemption claim have to be sent by snail mail and it also says that a police man or justice of peace has to sign it, will it work if its an irish police or what i wonder. thanks

Prob best ask Medicare, more than likely justice of the peace, then you'll have to apply for a tax adjustment for each of the years, sounds hard but quiet easy
4 years of about 1-1.5% of your salary is a decent amount

Coileach dearg

Just a word of warning to anybody sending off their certified copies of all pages of your passport. I had a lovely letter from Medicare in the post yesterday with a rejection notice for the exemption form due to some missing pages of the passport.
I was surprised by this and flicked through all the pages (they sent them back to me as well) only to find out that all the pages were there but one of the pages was slightly dog eared and you couldn't rightly see the page number. What in the f&&k is the world coming to!! I have to photocopy the page out again (no dog ears this time) and have it certified again.
It's a good job it's Friday I tell ya,,,

Make sure none of the pages have any dog ears on them. If ya have a passport like mine, nearly 10 years old now, it can be quite difficult removing those dog ears!

Coileach dearg

hussey wrote: »

Prob best ask Medicare, more than likely justice of the peace, then you'll have to apply for a tax adjustment for each of the years, sounds hard but quiet easy
4 years of about 1-1.5% of your salary is a decent amount

I just found out during the week that you can only claim back for the past 2 tax years, can't go any further back than that.

Mellor

ciaran kinvara2012 wrote: »

how would you go about claiming medicare back when your back in ireland, i was in oz for 4 tax years and never got it yet, does the medicare exemption claim have to be sent by snail mail and it also says that a police man or justice of peace has to sign it, will it work if its an irish police or what i wonder. thanks

Are you sure you never got it?

It's not something you have to claim back, as part of your tax return you are adjusted for the exemption. You don't automatically need to send off the forms for this exemption, only if they ask for it afterwards.

kinggriff

hussey wrote: »

kinggriff wrote: »

would someone on a PR visa like the RSMS be entitled to this tax exemption?

No because they get Medicare, it's an 'exemption'
Also what is a RSMS ?

RSMS is a regional sponsored migration scheme visa, subclass 119 for offshore. Mine is currently lodged and they are supposed to have the quickest turn around time because it gets people sponsored in regional areas were they need workers. I will be relocating to Geelong outside Melbourne. More info here
http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/skilled-workers/rsms/