OMG Tax return

[whichway1]

Holy Moly. Really really pooing myself!! Just did my tax return and my hubbies online, haven't submitted it yet for reasons you will soon find out. We left in Feb and thought we might get some money back but the buggers want $10,000 dollars from us (3 from him and 7 from me). We were not massive earners, around $65,000 together before tax. SURELY this cannot be right!! We never had any properties or anything like that. I always did my tax return online and it was easy, no mistakes. Does anyone have any experience of AU tax returns post leaving. Pleeeeeeeez help. Simply cannot afford this money!!!

[Rupert]

Holy Moly. Really really pooing myself!! Just did my tax return and my hubbies online, haven't submitted it yet for reasons you will soon find out. We left in Feb and thought we might get some money back but the buggers want $10,000 dollars from us (3 from him and 7 from me). We were not massive earners, around $65,000 together before tax. SURELY this cannot be right!! We never had any properties or anything like that. I always did my tax return online and it was easy, no mistakes. Does anyone have any experience of AU tax returns post leaving. Pleeeeeeeez help. Simply cannot afford this money!!!

People always assume they will have a refund, it really isn't necessarily the case, tax is generally deducted correctly as you go along.

So first question, how long were you in Australia? Since you got here, not just in that tax year. Did you call yourself resident or non resident on the return? What visa were you on? Did you get any benefits?

[whichway1]

Lived there for five years all up. was not resident for last tax year (checked all the small print and as I left in Feb apparantly don't qualify). No benefits. No visa, was citizen. Very scared.

[whichway1]

if it is deducted correctly why should I have so much to pay?

[Rupert]

Lived there for five years all up. was not resident for last tax year (checked all the small print and as I left in Feb apparantly don't qualify). No benefits. No visa, was citizen. Very scared.

That is your problem, you have clearly ticked non resident box doing your tax return. If you were there for five years, you were resident up until the time you left, you don't have to meet a minimum numer of days every year, they don't expect people to only move on the 1st July . Try again saying you were resident andI expect your problems will be solved.

The reason it has calculatd such a high figure is because your payroll departments would have deducted tax as if youwere resident, but now you have told them you are non resident, so it has calculated the difference (non residents pay more tax). Once you switch this back to resident, you should be fine.

[whichway1]

Ok i did that and of course the amount I owe went down dramatically. BUT it says that if I left to go overseas permanently then I am not resident for the year 11/12. Would you be confident to submit it if it was you? Only asking cos am scared

[Rupert]

Ok i did that and of course the amount I owe went down dramatically. BUT it says that if I left to go overseas permanently then I am not resident for the year 11/12. Would you be confident to submit it if it was you? Only asking cos am scared

You were there for five years, you had already established residency. Residency is not based on number of days in the year alone. I am 100pc confident and yes I would do as I suggest if it were me.

[whichway1]

ok thanks muchly a million times x

[Julz]

Just curious but what happens if you don't submit a tax return?

[fourcorners]

You are still a resident for tax purposes. We submitted our tax returns early in 2008 in April when we left Australia and we were still classed as resident for tax purposes, got a nice little refund.

As you were a citizen of Australia, and the UK and Australia have a tax agreement, you may have to declare how much tax you paid in Australia if you get asked to do a tax return in the UK. But I would only worry about that if you get a letter from HMRC asking you to do one, just make sure you keep all your paperwork for your Oz tax return safe.