Naz Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 Hi, is there anybody out there who can advise, whether when doing your first tax return, to do it yourself or use an agent??Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heymanse Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 I've been doing ours online since we arrived and it is easy enough. A lot of questions to go through but at least you know you cover all aspects - if you read all the information carefully you'll know what you can claim for and what not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naz Posted August 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 Thanks a mil:-) will take a crack at it!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordy Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 Just for info purposes. Whatever a tax agent charges you this year you can claim back the next year. So mines costs $180 a year but that is a tax deduction the following year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferMan Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 Hi Naz,You can use the Mytax or e-tax software, its free. The ATO are also super helpful and you can call anytime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HadEnoughofJuju Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 If it's straight forward and there are no assets generating income or complicated deductions then eTax is the way to go. I foolishly paid $198 last year for our tax returns (and my wife's was a zero return for Centrelink purposes), luckily you get to claim the $99 per person back from the ATO as an expense.P.S. Paper submissions take 50 days for the ATO to process while eTax and myTax take 12. I submitted both of our returns online and they were completed and paid out in less than 12 days and Centrelink was updated and balanced the following day.You just have to love living in a first world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toitjie Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 This will be my first tax return too and i was told as it's my first, I cannot do it online and have to do a paper one for the first time. Im still wondering if that is correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HadEnoughofJuju Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 Who told you that Toitjie? Create yourself a myGov account and link your ATO account to that and you can submit your returns online. I bet it was a tax consultant that told you, you couldn't do it yourself.P.S. if you don't have any foreign income to declare you can use myTax otherwise you can download and install eTax and submit your returns using that. Also remember that if Hubby gets a payment summary then he will also have to submit a return. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heymanse Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 This will be my first tax return too and i was told as it's my first, I cannot do it online and have to do a paper one for the first time. Im still wondering if that is correct.Definitely not true. I've been doing ours online since the first year after arrival. Always been able to get some sort of payment back. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferMan Posted August 12, 2014 Report Share Posted August 12, 2014 Yeah,Do it online, the lekker thing is it remember your details from year to year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nev Posted August 12, 2014 Report Share Posted August 12, 2014 Did mine online the first yer i was here (2 years ago) with no problem, you definitely don't have to do it on paper the first year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardH Posted August 12, 2014 Report Share Posted August 12, 2014 I would do the first one with an agent since you may be able to claim expenses you incurred to get here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HadEnoughofJuju Posted August 12, 2014 Report Share Posted August 12, 2014 I tried to claim those expenses using a tax consultant and was told that I couldn't unless the expenses were related to relocation as a result of work. I would certainly ask a tax consultant if you can claim those expenses but I wouldn't pay them to do the tax return. Besides that the ATO are extremely helpful and will answer any questions you may have if you call their help line. They aren't like SARS and out to get you. If you follow the rules they leave you alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerhardk Posted August 14, 2014 Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 When we arrived I paid a tax consultant for an hour consultation ($110 at the time) and then completed our own returns. With hindsight I should have paid double that and have him complete the returns since it took a lot more time than I thought it would.e-Tax and My-tax are great if your affairs are straight forward but keeping in mind ATO allows for more items to be claimed against salary income vs SARS and you need to know about this. Examples professional membership fees, home study, self education expenditure, cleaning uniform. If you still have property / other income in SA it also becomes a bit more tricky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Posted August 16, 2014 Report Share Posted August 16, 2014 This will be my first tax return too and i was told as it's my first, I cannot do it online and have to do a paper one for the first time. Im still wondering if that is correct.Who told you that Toitjie? Create yourself a myGov account and link your ATO account to that and you can submit your returns online.I bet it was a tax consultant that told you, you couldn't do it yourself.P.S. if you don't have any foreign income to declare you can use myTax otherwise you can download and install eTax and submit your returns using that. Also remember that if Hubby gets a payment summary then he will also have to submit a return.I have the same thing. I tried to link my ATO to my myGov and couldn't. I called them up to try and sort it out. They told me I won't be able as they don't have enough information on me, hence no filing online. They told me to do a paper filing. I think it might be due to the myGov website upgrade or being fully integrated or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwerty Posted August 19, 2014 Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 Ok, so I have to file tax for the 6 weeks I worked... just wondering what to answer when they ask if I had a spouse... so the answer is yes, but not in Aus...later on they ask about Medicare and private health insurance for my spouse...should I answer that question as 'Yes' or 'No'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronwyn&Co Posted August 19, 2014 Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 (edited) Qwerty that's a weird one! Is your spouse even on your medical? I think it's worth phoning the ATO to check what to answer. Be prepared to go on hold for about half an hour....Btw your pvt medical should have sent you a certificate you will need to have/hand in with your tax return. Edited August 19, 2014 by Bronwyn&Co Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heymanse Posted August 19, 2014 Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 Ok, so I have to file tax for the 6 weeks I worked... just wondering what to answer when they ask if I had a spouse... so the answer is yes, but not in Aus...later on they ask about Medicare and private health insurance for my spouse...should I answer that question as 'Yes' or 'No'?I agree with Bronwyn, definitely give the ATO a call. They are extremely helpful - not at all like what we were used to in South Africa with SARS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwerty Posted August 20, 2014 Report Share Posted August 20, 2014 Ok. Maybe I should phrase it differently. I came ahead of my family in May to start my new job in Sydney and they only joined me at the end of June. So neither of them received any benefits or income on this side for the financial year. So if I said no I didn't have a spouse in Australia for the financial year, then I can skip all those irrelevant questions. Anyway...probably, just easier to phone ATO We had medical aid in South Africa during this time, which was cancelled at the end of July. So I probably need to mention that when I phone them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronwyn&Co Posted August 20, 2014 Report Share Posted August 20, 2014 Qwerty it won't make any difference about the SA medical aid. There is a calculation the ATO needs to do regarding how many days in the year you held pvt cover (in Aus) vs. how many days you qualified for Medicare vs. your family's annual income. They like to complicate matters I'm sure it would be a lot simpler to just have 'no spouse' for that tax year but not sure if it's allowed. I'm sure the ATO will tell you what to complete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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