Australian tax thread 2013

Mellor

niva*sis wrote: »

hi guys,
when i use just a general online return calculator to get an estimate of my tax back it says that i paid 894 in medicare.
Being from the ROI am i entitled to all of this back or just a fraction?
I sent my stuff to an accountant yesterday and she is saying my total tax back is 730 (and that includes my accountant fee from last year
($145) and i wanted to claim for two years medicare as i never claimed it last year.

If anyone can shed light on this i would be grateful.

Thanks

You don't pay tax specifically to medicare. You just pay tax every week and and the end of the total it up. Whether or not you are eligible for medicare affects the total you should have paid.

When your account did your tax, did they include a medicare exemption?

niva*sis

yep i understand that the medicare is a percentage of the total tax that i put.
i went on the paycalculator website and it shows my medicare that i paid was over 800 for the year. (it had a breakdown of the taxes)

i have asked my accountant if she included my medicare exemption because i sent her two certs one for this year and one for 3 months last year which im not sure if i can claim for not.

At this stage she could get the road very soon.

Thanks.

dave3004

Hi Guys

Quick question. I paid 11k in cash for medical bills in Oz this last tax year.

I didn't have any private health cover.

Can I claim any of that back or is it not claimable?

Thanks

Dave

jackbhoy

dave3004 wrote: »

Hi Guys

Quick question. I paid 11k in cash for medical bills in Oz this last tax year.

I didn't have any private health cover.

Can I claim any of that back or is it not claimable?

Thanks

Dave

Should be able to get some rebate on it: http://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/content.asp?doc=/content/32036.htm

purcela

On the tax estimate screen where it shows a summary of everything should it separately show any Medicare refund due? I have filled in that I was Medicare exempt for the year. The only fields that have amounts opposite them for me are tax on taxable income, tax withheld and tax offsets used.

Thanks.

ozpaddy2

Arrived over on 457 start of March '13 with wife tow and started working straight away.

Really helpful thread. Thanks to all contributing!

-Should I be claiming as "part year resident" for four months or "resident for full year" because I didn't make the full six months here before the end of the tax year?

-Does anybody know about the dependent spouse benefit?

-For anybody applying for Medicare exemption cert I can confirm you just need a copy of you photo page and the page that shows the Australian entry stamp (not the whole thing as I read on other sites). They can be certified as true copies by medicare providers so ask one of the Irish doctors over here instead of a paying a notary public.

Poz

cikearney

For Medicare cert you need a certified copy of your picture and details and every stamped page of your passport

ozpaddy2

cikearney wrote: »

For Medicare cert you need a certified copy of your picture and details and every stamped page of your passport

I saw that on the site but when I rang the Medicare exemption office and specifically asked did I need to photocopy the whole thing? They told me to copy the photo page and the page with OZ stamp only. I sent those in along with a print out of my 457 and got my cert.

I was dealing directly with one person in the office (she had to check with her boss about my exemption as I worked in the UK before Oz) so maybe it was different for me.

Slidey

They sent mine back last year for some daft reason, i never bothered to re-submit it. This year I photocopied the entire passport and sent the print out from the visa grant too.

cikearney

I just gave it into the cop shop and she copied and stamped it as instructed. The form said every used/ stamped page so that's what she did. I didn't mind because it was free, but when I tried to get it done in the post office it was gonna cost $3.50 per copy and was gonna copy and stamp every used page also.

mandrake04

ozpaddy2 wrote: »

They can be certified as true copies by medicare providers so ask one of the Irish doctors over here instead of a paying a notary public.

Poz

You can get any documents signed by a Justice of the Peace for free who would be more suitable than a non citizen, JOP can usually be found in most large shopping centres on a Thursday night or Saturday morning, failing that your local police station or political office will have a JOP.

lg123

Regarding the medicare levy exemption, does the exemption end when you submit your application for PR or when the PR visa is activated?

Plug

Ok lads a few questions here Im due to apply for my tax back. I'd be greatful if ye could answer a few questions.

1)When I first came over I was on a WHV 417 and my tax status was 'non resident for tax purposes'. I was paying a lot of tax probably 30 - 40% then after a few months I got my tax status changed to 'resident for tax purposes' and tax rate went down. After 6 months my 457 came through.
I hear of people on WHV's getting most of there tax back but what will happen to me, I seem to be all over the place on this. Im truley lost, what can I be expecting back?


2) I have receipts for tools I bought but I got tool allowances of $665. If I got allowances will that cancel out any tax returns on my tools?

3) How long will medicare exemption certificate take to come? Im going to get it sent off by Wednesday hopefully. Also do I actually need this as Im from the republic of Ireland?

4)Finally any recommend any good/cheapish tax agents. Im in Glendalough in Perth. Somewhere not to far would be great.

Thanks in advance.

hussey

Plug wrote: »

Ok lads a few questions here Im due to apply for my tax back. I'd be greatful if ye could answer a few questions.

1)When I first came over I was on a WHV 417 and my tax status was 'non resident for tax purposes'. I was paying a lot of tax probably 30 - 40% then after a few months I got my tax status changed to 'resident for tax purposes' and tax rate went down. After 6 months my 457 came through.
I hear of people on WHV's getting most of there tax back but what will happen to me, I seem to be all over the place on this. Im truley lost, what can I be expecting back?

We cannot give you an exact figure as you haven't provided one. But you will certainly get back your tax free allowance, and you can work out what tax you should pay by a simple calculator
http://calculators.ato.gov.au/scripts/asp/simpletaxcalc/main.asp
this won't take into account things like allowances etc

2) I have receipts for tools I bought but I got tool allowances of $665. If I got allowances will that cancel out any tax returns on my tools?

Any expenses get deducted from your starting salary
Net - expenses = taxable income
e.g. $50k PA = 50000-665= 49335 taxable income.
It doesn't get deducted from tax

3) How long will medicare exemption certificate take to come? Im going to get it sent off by Wednesday hopefully. Also do I actually need this as Im from the republic of Ireland?

about 6weeks, Yes you need it (I was asked for mine twice), but you can apply for your tax before it comes and just keep it as records

Plug

hussey wrote: »

We cannot give you an exact figure as you haven't provided one. But you will certainly get back your tax free allowance, and you can work out what tax you should pay by a simple calculator
http://calculators.ato.gov.au/scripts/asp/simpletaxcalc/main.asp
this won't take into account things like allowances etc


Any expenses get deducted from your starting salary
Net - expenses = taxable income
e.g. $50k PA = 50000-665= 49335 taxable income.
It doesn't get deducted from tax

Ok I earned $76458 gross and paid $19218 in taxes. The allowances are $665 and it says 'Total allowances are not included in gross payments above. This amount needs to be shown separately in your tax return'. What does that mean? Do I put all the receipts for the tools I bought under that? I just checked I have been a resident for tax purposes for about 10.5 months and am on a 457 visa.
Sorry for the stupid questions. Could you or anyone here make out what I could get inc medicare if you have time. Thanks.

about 6weeks, Yes you need it (I was asked for mine twice), but you can apply for your tax before it comes and just keep it as records

Ok so I can apply for my tax back inc medicare even if I don't actually have the cert? Will they ask for it before they process the funds to my account? 6 weeks sounds like a lot, my tough sh!t I suppose. Thanks for your help, appreciated.

hussey

Plug wrote: »

Ok I earned $76458 gross and paid $19218 in taxes. The allowances are $665

76458-665 = 75793 taxable
using the ato tax calculator you should pay : 16,179.73 tax
so 3kish estimated return.
If you use any other items for work, e.g. mobile, internet etc you can claim costs for these too.

and it says 'Total allowances are not included in gross payments above. This amount needs to be shown separately in your tax return'. What does that mean?

You need to fill out another section stateing your deductions
i.e. you need to say I was paid X and my costs are Y, rather than My taxable income is X-Y

Do I put all the receipts for the tools I bought under that?

Yes keep the receipts, but you don't need to submit receipts unless asked.

Sorry for the stupid questions. Could you or anyone here make out what I could get inc medicare if you have time. Thanks.

as above, you have not paid any Medicare, so you continue not paying it - no refund, just non payment

Ok so I can apply for my tax back inc medicare even if I don't actually have the cert?

Yes

Will they ask for it before they process the funds to my account?

No, but later down the line they might ask for it (hence why apply for it even for records sake)

poodles

I'm a little confused with the Medicare Levy...

I've been on my girlfriends private health insurance (through her Irish employer) for the full tax year - will this entail that I could be possibly exempt from the levy?

Also, I wasn't in Australia for the full 12 months - was travelling for 3-4 months in the tax year - does this mean that I wouldn't be liable to the full charge given that I wasn't in the country for the full tax year?

Thanks

mandrake04

poodles wrote: »

I'm a little confused with the Medicare Levy...

I've been on my girlfriends private health insurance (through her Irish employer) for the full tax year - will this entail that I could be possibly exempt from the levy?

Also, I wasn't in Australia for the full 12 months - was travelling for 3-4 months in the tax year - does this mean that I wouldn't be liable to the full charge given that I wasn't in the country for the full tax year?

Thanks

If you are exempt from medicare then you are exempt from Medicare levy.

You are entitled to medicare if you are a citizen, resident, applied for PR or on a temporary visa from a country that has a reciprocal medicare agreement with Australia ( eg. UK) you still have to pay for it wether you used it or not.

SONIC2008

Hi,
I paid about 800 dollars to have my degree assessed while on whv. Is it possible to claim back some of this on my tax return? I didn't actually get work directly related to that degree so it may not be relevant!?
Thanks

Esse85

Could anyone tell me what address to send the tax return to?

hussey

Esse85 wrote: »

Could anyone tell me what address to send the tax return to?

http://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Lodging-your-tax-return/Paper-tax-return/Tax-return-for-individuals/#mailing_your_tax_return

Australian Taxation Office
GPO Box 9845
IN YOUR CAPITAL CITY

Do not replace the words IN YOUR CAPITAL CITY with the name of your capital city and its postcode - because of a special agreement we have with Australia Post, they are not needed.

Esse85

hussey wrote: »

http://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Lodging-your-tax-return/Paper-tax-return/Tax-return-for-individuals/#mailing_your_tax_return

Thanks a million.

Joe Gt

was with our accountant 10days ago , he done our returns and also claimed for our medicare , i didn't have to do a medicare exemption form or copy of passports etc , got the payment lodged in my account yesterday. Its worth seeing a good accountant for your returns ,

Slidey

Joe Gt wrote: »

was with our accountant 10days ago , he done our returns and also claimed for our medicare , i didn't have to do a medicare exemption form or copy of passports etc , got the payment lodged in my account yesterday. Its worth seeing a good accountant for your returns ,

You may not have needed to provide the exemption but if they come looking for it in the next 5 years you will need to be able to produce it

Joe Gt

thats true , i will keep that in mind, thanks Slidey

Belt

Have any first time applicants been able to lodge their return on e tax? I seem unable to but am aware of people who have

Is it possible to email your return? Dont fancy waiting the 50 business days for a postal return

lg123

shouldn't take 50 days for postal, that'd be worst case.

monariek

Joe Gt wrote: »

was with our accountant 10days ago , he done our returns and also claimed for our medicare , i didn't have to do a medicare exemption form or copy of passports etc , got the payment lodged in my account yesterday. Its worth seeing a good accountant for your returns ,

what sort of fee did they charge? any link you could provide?


Etax is telling me the name i have provided doesnt match their records...bit odd as i am entering it exactly as shown on my payment summary.

Belt

monariek wrote: »

what sort of fee did they charge? any link you could provide?


Etax is telling me the name i have provided doesnt match their records...bit odd as i am entering it exactly as shown on my payment summary.

Yes im having the same issue, etax cant verify my name or DOB. Rang ATO and they said I'd havr to post it

Recession Buster

I'm in the same situation myself. Can I post the return without my medicare exemption cert? I have appilied for it but it wont be here for 6 weeks?