International income tax refunds, tax return services and foreign VAT reclaim

Australian Tax FAQs

For Working Holiday Makers

Our Australian tax FAQs answer all your questions about paying tax Down Under and how to get your tax refund.

We can sort out your income tax refund and superannuation refund. Our customers get average tax refunds of AU$2600* and superannuation refunds of AU$3380* from Australia. Apply for your tax refund now or try our free Australian tax refund calculator to see how much money you could be owed.

If you've got a query about your Australian tax refund that isn't answered below, Chat Live online with our tax experts via instant messenger to find out about your tax return now or visit us in our offices in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth or Cairns.

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When can I get my Australian tax refund?
 

The Australian tax year is from July 1st to June 30th the following year.

2005 – 2012 Australian tax refunds: If you have worked in Australia any time from 2005 up until June 30th 2012 we can apply for your Australian tax refund now so get the process underway today.

2013 Australian tax refunds: If you're working in Australia after July 1st 2012 and leave the country before June 30th 2013, we will be able to paper file your tax return straight away. If you're still in Oz in mid-2013 we can file your tax return once the tax year ends on June 30th. Scan and send us your documents as soon as you finish work so we can get your cash back as fast as possible.

NOTE: We can still claim tax refunds from as far back as 1998 with special return applications so contact us on australia@taxback.com to see what we can do for you.

 
How much money will I get back?
 

Taxback.com ensures you get back all the overpaid Australian income tax and expenses you're owed. The size of your tax refund will depends on factors such as:

  • Your visa
  • Your earnings
  • How long you worked for
  • Any work-related expenses you incurred
  • The type of work
  • Whether you set up your life in Australia or "jobbed" around Australia

The average income tax refund we get for our clients is AU$2600*.

Try our free online tax refund calculator to see how much cash you could get back.

 
How long will it take to receive my Australian tax refund?
 

As soon as we have it, you'll have it, because we contact you immediately when we receive your refund from the tax office to organise the most convenient way to get it to you.

Once we receive your signed tax documents it takes us just 24 hours to get your Australian tax return ready for the Australian tax office. This includes:

  • Reviewing your application
  • Estimating your refund
  • Completing your forms
  • Sending them to the tax office

Once at the Australian tax office your application should take about two working weeks to process, but at busy times like the end of the tax year it can take slightly longer. Our tax team will be in constant contact with the tax office to see how your application is progressing.

As soon as the tax office sends us your tax refund, we'll contact you to confirm the most convenient and quickest way to transfer it to you.

2009-2013 Australian tax refunds: we can get your tax back in just 10-15 working days (2-3 business weeks). Please note that for the tax year 2013, this period will apply after the end of the tax year. If you choose to apply before the end of 2013 tax year, i.e. before June 30th 2013, the processing time will be 6-8 business weeks.

For tax years prior to 2009 it can take between 6-8 weeks.

Throughout the entire process you can watch the step-by-step progress of your application on your online TaxTracker® account.

 
How much will it cost?
 

Firstly our team will provide you with a free, no obligation estimate of your Australian tax refund. You can get this online instantly through our Australian tax calculator.

When you send us your documents and signed forms we'll evaluate your refund and what additional services you need such as document retrieval. Then we'll let you know how much it will cost to file your return for you.

Low refunds: For non residents' refunds and refunds under AU$150 the fee is AU$87 + handling fee.

Australian Residents for tax purposes: For Australian residents for tax purposes we charge 9% + handling fee of the refund received, subject to a minimum fee of AU$99 + handling fee.

Early Assessment: If you have already left Australia and want to apply for your refund before the tax year ends, our fee for early assessment is 9% + handling fee of the refund received subject to a minimum fee of $99 + handling fee.

If you need us to file an amendment of your tax return, our fees for paper amendments are 25% + handling fee of the refund received subject to a minimum fee of $250 + handling fee. For electronic amendments our fee is 15% + handling fee of the refund received subject to a minimum fee of $200 + handling fee.

Why the minimum fee?

This fee covers all the things that make using our service so easy for you such as:

  • Customer support 24/7 by phone and live chat.
  • Online tracking service in seven languages
  • Free phone and free fax
  • Local staff to meet you and guide you through the process
  • Tax technicians
  • Researchers to identify new legal developments to maximise your refunds
  • Quality team
 
Can I get a Superannuation Refund?
 

Superannuation is the compulsory pension scheme in Australia. Even if you're in the country on a working holiday visa, if you earn more than AU$450 per month, your employer is obliged by law to pay 9% of your wages into a superannuation fund nominated by you. If you didn't nominate a fund, your employer will pay it into a fund nominated by their company or the tax office.

Taxback.com can organise your superannuation refund once you leave the country permanently and your visa expires. Superannanution refunds can be worth thousands of dollars. We can claim your Australian superannuation refund from as far back as 1994.

The average Australian superannuation refund we get for our clients is AU$3380. Chat Live with one of our tax experts about applying for your super refund today or email australia@taxback.com

 
How does the taxback.com service work?
 

Claiming your Australian tax back with us is a fast and easy. Here's how the process works:

  1. Register online and then download our TaxPack for Australian tax returns. Sign the forms and send them to us.
  2. Once we receive your signed forms we'll estimate your refund and give you an online tracking account. If you're missing any documents we can get replacements for you.
  3. We prepare and file your Australian tax return. As soon as we receive your tax refund from the Australian tax office, we contact you to organise the fastest was to get it to you.
 
What if I don't have my tax documents?
 

We know it's easy to lose documents or to not even receive them in the first place so we have a dedicated document retrieval team to organise replacement documents for you.

If you need our document retrieval services for your Australian tax refund, our fee for this is AU$40 + handling fee per document.

 
How will I know what's happening with my Aussie tax return?
 

You will be able to follow the progress of your Australia tax return 24/7 through your secure online TaxTracker ® account. This account allows you to see action taken on your application. As soon as we have your refund we'll contact you to sort out the best way to get your money straight to you.

We also have staff available to talk to you at anytime online through our Live Chat instant messaging service.

 
Do I have to file an Australian tax return?
 

Yes. Australian tax law requires all non-residents who earn any income from Australian sources to file a tax return - even if you were just working there temporarily.

All Australian citizens and residents who earn above the $6000 tax-free threshold are also required by law to file a tax return. Failure to do so can lead to penalties and fines.

File your Australian income tax return now.

 
What is a Payment Summary/Group Certificate?
 

To claim your Australian tax refund, we need your Payment Summary or PAYG (Pay As You Go) form. This used to be called a Group Certificate. The PAYG is the official tax form you'll get from your employer when you finish working for them. It shows the amount you earned and the amount of tax you paid for that employer.

If you ask nicely, some employers will give you your PAYG form as soon as you leave work. Otherwise you'll have to wait until they post it out at the end of the tax year in June.

In most cases we can use your PAYG or your final payslip to claim your Aussie tax rebate. So if you haven't got your PAYG yet, but you do have your final payslip, there's no need to wait – start applying for your tax back now.

 
What is a final pay slip?
 

A final payslip is the payslip you receive with your final pay cheque. It shows your total earnings and how much tax you have paid for that employer.

We can use your final payslip to get your Australian tax back if we're filing your return at the end of the tax year - as long as it has your year-to-date earnings and tax paid. If you don't have a final payslip, our document retrieval team can organise a PAYG form for you when the tax year ends.

 
I applied for an income tax refund before but I wasn't happy with how much I got - can I apply again?
 

Yes. If you filed an Australian tax return in the last two years with another company or on your own and you're not satisfied with what you got back or you were told you weren't owed a refund, taxback.com can look into this for you.

Many people do not claim back all the tax they are owed. We can assess for free whether you are owed a bigger tax refund than you received.

If you are owed additional tax back and wish to apply for it, we can file an amended Australian tax return for you. Our fee for filing an amended tax return is just 15% + handling fee of the refund received, subject to a minimum fee of $200 + handling fee.

To find out if you're owed more tax back fill out our online Australian income tax return form or Chat live with our staff via instant messenger to find out more.

 
How do I know if I'm a resident or non-resident for tax purposes?
 

If you've moved to Australia on a working holiday, student, sponsorship, or any other kind of visa, you can be deemed a resident for tax purposes if you have lived in Oz continuously for at least 6 months (183 days) and have been in one job and have lived in one single place for that whole time.

If you go to Australia on a Working Holiday Maker visa, you may be given a non-resident Tax File Number (TFN) to start with. Having a non-resident TFN assigned to you at the start of your Australian stay does not mean you're a non-resident for tax purposes. Your work and living behaviour are the main criteria in your tax residency designation. You need to complete a one-page residency questionnaire when filing your tax return so that the correct designation can be identified.

Use our free online refund calculator to see how much tax you could get back.

 
Can you guarantee that I'll get the total tax refund amount you estimated for me?
 

No, but we do guarantee to get you the most money back that we legally can.

Our estimate is based on your documents and our experience in filing thousands of tax returns every week since 1996. Once we have submitted your tax return to the tax office, the Australian tax authority has the final decision in your tax refund based on their systems and tax codes.

When our technicians prepare and file your return, they check for any allowances or benefits you could get to ensure we apply for the maximum rebate possible.

 
What's the difference between filing my Australian tax return and getting my Australian tax refund?
 

We file your Oz tax return in order to organise your tax refund.

A tax return is the annual submission of tax forms documenting your earnings, taxes paid, deductable expenses, and allowances that you send to the tax office for review. They review it according to the information submitted by your employer and the current laws that apply to your case.

If you get a tax refund, this means the tax office review found you have overpaid Australian tax and are due some back.

Our estimate of your refund is based on our prediction of what the tax office will decide when they review your tax return - providing they have the same information as us.

Use our FREE online refund estimator to see how much tax you could get back.

 

At taxback.com, our business is to save you money by getting your tax back. We file 322,000 tax returns every year. So many people overpay tax without even realising. There are several reasons why you might be due a tax refund. These include if you worked abroad, were made redundant or only worked part of the tax year.

We offer tax refunds from 16 different countries. So how can you get your tax back? We keep things simple by offering a range of user-friendly tax refund calculators which give you an instant tax refund estimation. We aim to take the confusion out of your tax issues and make sure you get back what you're owed.