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:unsure:

[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:unsure:

 

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 :biggrin::notworthy: a million times x

[Guest 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.

[paisleylass]

Am chomping at the bit to get my return done but don't have payment summaries yet boohoo! Having had no income for my first 3 months here, plus being taxed with no threshold for the past 6 weeks (my fault, ticked wrong box hoho) should provide enough dosh for a nice day out at DFO heheh!

 

Glad this is resolved for you whichway, a big tax bill would have been a slap in the chops right enough.

[MARYROSE02]

Go and see a Tax Agent. He/she won't necessarilly get you a refund but at least you can be sure you are not missing out on anything. I got a demand for $700 and went to see my agent and he thinks there is a mistake so he will contact the ATO.

[whatsitallabout]

My 1st year here, I done my own tax return, It came back that I owed them money as like you, I didn't think I was a resident as then was on a 457 Visa I contacted the ATO to clafify this question (as I was confused by this as really I wasn't a resident!!) but when lodging this I was a resident for tax purposes! to my relief I didn't owe them anything I got it back. So I would contact them to claify if you have dones this correctly. Good Luck

[Slean Wolfhead]

Does everyone have to submit a tax return?

Even if you have a partner who hasn't worked or earned anything, do they still have to do a "nil return" ?

[Skani]

Does everyone have to submit a tax return?

Even if you have a partner who hasn't worked or earned anything, do they still have to do a "nil return" ?

 

 

Information here:

http://www.ato.gov.au/corporate/content.aspx?doc=/content/00178872.htm&pc=001/001/050/001&mnu=0&mfp=&st=&cy=

[LukeM]

I shouldn't read topics like this of a Sunday morning... haha tax stuff scares me. I'm only young!! Was doing my first tax return last year in Australia, not long after I had turned 19... it's kinda a scary deal. Thankfully I only owed something like $50, I calculated it online myself and then went to a tax agent and had them do it just to be double safe and it seems for once in my life my math hadn't failed me.

 

I'm really hoping to get something back this year as well... lol :GEEK:

 

Hopefully all those PAYG summaries will be waiting in the mail when I get back to Bris. :policeman:

[Jurls]

Does everyone have to submit a tax return?

Even if you have a partner who hasn't worked or earned anything, do they still have to do a "nil return" ?

 

 

If you are getting Family Assistance payments you do, you have to complete a non-lodgement form, send it to the ATO and also make sure you've advised the Family Assistance office that you've done it. The Family Assistance Office won't balance your account and release any supplements until this is done!!

 

Not sure if those who don't claim Family Assistance would have to do it. I probably would anyway as a non-lodgement form is easy enough to fill out and send in.

 

 

ETA: I've actually just done my non lodgement form and it says on it that if you don't have to do a tax return then you have to send the non-lodgement form into the ATO by 31st October. I use e-Tax to generate my non-lodgement form, it's straightforward enough to do :wink:

[Slean Wolfhead]

If you are getting Family Assistance payments you do, you have to complete a non-lodgement form, send it to the ATO and also make sure you've advised the Family Assistance office that you've done it. The Family Assistance Office won't balance your account and release any supplements until this is done!!

Not sure if those who don't claim Family Assistance would have to do it. I probably would anyway as a non-lodgement form is easy enough to fill out and send in.

ETA: I've actually just done my non lodgement form and it says on it that if you don't have to do a tax return then you have to send the non-lodgement form into the ATO by 31st October. I use e-Tax to generate my non-lodgement form, it's straightforward enough to do :wink:

 

Yep, got that and completed it.

The difficult bit on the eTax is the part year business and tying up the medicare exemption levy (or not) with number of days pre-emigration/post, then doing it for the partner who's claimed nothing in benefits.

Probably just safer to get the first one done by a tax pro for the money and time it's going to save.

[Jurls]

Ah yes, that does sound a bit messy. This is my third tax return, I'm not working and have no overseas assets or anything so it's pretty straightforward for me. Otherwise I think I'd probably get a tax accountant to do it, the first one at least.