TAXATION

What is a Tax File Number (TFN)?

A Tax File Number is a 9 digit number that is issued to you on request by the Australian Tax Office (ATO). The number is unique and identifies you to the ATO. In order to work in Australia you must have a Tax File Number.

click here to apply for a TFN.

What is an Australian Business Number (ABN)?

An Australian Business Number is an 11 digit number that is issued to you upon request by the Australian Tax Office (ATO). Like a TFN this number is unique and identifies your business to the ATO. Whilst working in Australia as a sub contractor (farming, labouring, etc) you may be required by your employer to obtain an ABN.

click here to apply for an ABN.

Am I a resident or non resident for tax purposes?

You will be deemed as a resident for income tax purposes if you have been working and living in one place in Australia for 6 months, or if you plan/intend to stay working and living in once place in Australia for 6 months. You behaviour (living and working) will be used in determining your residency status.

Do I need to lodge an income tax return?

Yes. Australian Tax Law requires any person, whether a permanent or temporary resident, who has worked in Australia to lodge an income tax return.

How can I lodge my income tax return with Taxmate Australia?

Its easy, click on online services page. Download our application form. Complete your form and attach any PAYG Payment Summaries/Final Pay Slips that you may have and send back to us. Once we receive your completed forms we will contact you for payment to let you know and we will start preparing your income tax return immediately.

What is your fee?

Our fee for preparing and lodging your income tax return is calculated based on the items of your tax return.

Please refer to our price list page.

How much will I get back?

The amount of your refund will depend on your individual circumstances. Things taken into account when determining an income tax refund are your gross income, the amount of tax deducted from your income, any allowances withheld and whether or not you have any work related expenses.

To access a free tax calculator please visit ATO website.

When is the Financial Year / Tax Year?

This is the period from the 1st July to the 30th June

What is a PAYG payment summary?

A PAYG Payment Summary (formerly called a Group Certificate) is a document you receive from your employer once you either finish working for them or once the financial year ends. It includes details of your gross earnings for the full or part financial year, shows how much tax was withheld and includes details of any allowances received from your employer. The PAYG Payment Summary also includes your name, Tax File Number, your employers name and their ABN.

What is a Statement of Earnings?

A statement of earnings is a document provided by your employer. This is normally provided as an interim measure until your PAYG Payment Summary is issued. A statement of earnings is produced on letter head from your employer and details the same information as a PAYG Payment Summary would. It includes your name, Tax File Number, Gross earnings, tax withheld and allowances.

What if I don’t have a PAYG Payment Summary/Statement of Earnings?

We understand that whilst you are travelling it will be easy to misplace your documents. Just contact your payer and ask your payer to give you a signed copy of your payment summary.

If you are unable to contact your previous employer, you will need to write a letter to the Australian Taxation Office (see address below) and request a copy of your payment summary for the missing year/s and if they have a copy you can then use it to lodge your income tax return.

The ATO has access to payment summaries dating back to 1996.

Debt & Lodgment Correspondence
Australia Taxation Office
PO Box 9102
Penrith NSW 2740

If your employer did not lodge your payment information to Taxation Office for some reason. You’ll find a declaration form authorising us to do this. Please contact us if required. We charge a document retrieval fee for this service.

Alternatively you can contact us and we can retrieve PAYG Payment Summaries for a fee of $5 per document at your cost.

What are examples of work related expenses?

Keep copies of all your receipts for any work related expenses incurred during employment. E.g., Union Fees; RSA/RCG; Green Card Courses; Safety Equipment (safety boots, high visibility vest, etc); Stationary; Tools; Travel records between jobs and work sites; Uniform and Laundry receipts. This will then be used when preparing your income tax return.

How long will it take to receive my refund?

If you are lodging your income tax return for previous tax years and we have all your documents, once lodged your refund will take 7-14 days

If you are lodging your final income tax return (because you are leaving Australia), and we have all your documents, once lodged the process can take 6-8 weeks (The reason for this time frame is due to the fact that early requests for tax refunds are lodged by paper, and take longer to be processed by the tax office). If we have to chase any missing documents your refund may take longer.

How will I know what is happening with my income tax return/refund?

We will keep you up to date throughout on our progress. Once your income tax return is lodged we will advise you so that you know how long It’s going to take to get your refund. If you need an update for the delay of processing you can email us at info@taxmate.com.au

I have lodged by Income Tax Return and have received no refund is this correct?

Let us know and we can review the lodged income tax return for you and make sure that all the submitted information was correct. It could be that you have deemed yourself as a non resident for tax purposes when in fact you may qualify as a resident under the residency test. If anything was wrong we can lodge an amended income tax return for you and help you get any additional refund that you are entitled to.

* There will be a fee charged. The fee charged will vary depending on your individual circumstances. If you fall into this category please call us for a fee estimate.

Can you guarantee that I’ll get the refund amount you estimated?

No, but we do guarantee to get you the most taxback that we legally can because your tax return will be lodged by our Authorised Tax Agents in Melbourne & Sydney who check all our tax returns for any additional expenses and benefits we can claim for you. Our estimate is based on your documents and our experience in filing thousands of tax returns every week. Naturally, the Australian tax authority has the final decision in your tax refund based on their systems and tax codes.

What are your responsibilities?

When you sign your tax return, you are taking responsibility for the claims you are making. We assume you have completed your tax return in good faith. If you become aware that your tax return is incorrect, you must contact the ATO as soon as possible to correct the error.
Remember, even if someone else – including a registered tax agent – helps you to prepare your tax return, you are still legally responsible for the accuracy of the information.

SUPERANNUATION

What is superannuation?

Superannuation (super) is an investment scheme designed to provide money for your retirement.

If you have worked during your stay in Australia and earned over $450 over a continuous rolling 4 week period, your employer will have contributed 9% of your gross weekly earnings to a superannuation fund on your behalf (You will not be entitled to superannuation contributions if you earned less than the prescribed amount).

When can I claim back my superannuation?

Once you have departed Australia permanently and your Australian Visa has expired (for working holiday makers on a 417 visa this is normally a year after you have entered Australia) you can lodge a superannuation claim.

How can I claim back my superannuation?

In order for us to prepare and lodge your superannuation claim you will be required to complete our DASP form on online services page and forward below documents to us in the post.

You must provide certified copies (certified by a Justice of the Peace or qualified certifiers) of the following documents:

  • A copy of your departure stamp
  • A copy of the photograph page and signature page from your passport
  • A copy of your visa label (if you have one)
  • A copy of your visa approval letter (if e-visa granted), certification is not required.

Once we are in receipt of your completed forms we will contact you via email to discuss this with you further.

*Your completed DASP form can be sumitted to us via online application form, however, your General Power of Attorney form and all your certified documents must be original copies and must be posted to us (photocopies will not be accepted by your superannuation funds)

Who can certify my documents?

The required documents can be certified by an Acceptable overseas certifiers:

● Australian Consular Officer or Australian Diplomatic Officer (within the meaning of the Consular Fees Act 1955)
● Bailiff
● Bank officer with 2 or more continuous years of service
● Building society officer with 2 or more years of continuous service
● Clerk of a court
● Commissioner for Affidavits
● Commissioner for Declarations
● Credit union officer with 2 or more years of continuous service
● Employee of the Australian Trade Commission who is:
(a) in a country or place outside Australia; and
(b) authorised under paragraph 3 (d) of the Consular Fees Act 1955; and
(c) exercising his or her function in that place
● Employee of the Commonwealth of Australia who is:
(a) in a country or place outside Australia; and
(b) authorised under paragraph 3 (c) of the Consular Fees Act 1955; and
(c) exercising his or her function in that place
● Finance company officer with 2 or more years of continuous service
● Judge of a court
● Justice of the Peace
● Magistrate
● Master of a court
● Member of the Australian Defence Force who is:
(a) an officer; or
(b) a non-commissioned officer within the meaning of the Defence Force Discipline Act 1982 with 5 or more years of continuous service
● Notary public
● Registrar, or Deputy Registrar, of a court
● Sheriff
● Sheriff’s officer

You must have all of your copies of your original documents certified by an authorised person. To do this, you must provide the authorised person with the original documents and the copies so that they can make sure they are identical. The authorised person must certify that each page is a true copy by:

  • writing or stamping ‘certified true copy’ on each page
  • Signing each page
  • Dating each page, and
  • Printing their name and qualification on each page (for example, Tony Smith, Justice of the Peace)

How much will it cost to claim back my superannuation?

Our fee for preparing and lodging your superannuation claim is a flat fee of $85 per account.

What if I don’t know who my superannuation has been paid to?

Just contact your previous/current employers and they are responsible to provide your superannuation account details. If you doubt that your employer is not paying your super, please refer to unpaid super page on ATO’s website.

How much money will I get back?

The amount of your refund depends on factors like the contributions made by your employer and the type of funds you have paid into. The amount of superannuation you can claim back is subject to the administration and insurance fees of your superannuation scheme, as well as a 35% withdrawal tax deducted by the Australian Government due to you withdrawing your superannuation early (before retirement).

How long will it take for me to receive my refund?

Once we receive all your documents we will prepare and lodge your claim for you. Once your paperwork is submitted and received by the Superannuation Scheme the processing time is normally 6-8 weeks.