Oz Taxes: A Handy Intro
Welcome to Oz, folks.
Tax is probably the last thing on your mind but there’s a very good reason to be clued in. Two words – TAX REFUNDS.
This article covers the basics of what you need to know about Oz tax and how to claim your tax refund. We’ve gathered together the questions we get asked most by new arrivals. If you want to know anything that isn’t covered here, you can get in touch with our Live Chat. Taxback's tax experts are there 24/7 to answer your questions.
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1. Do I need to file a tax return in Australia?
Yes. Anybody that works in Australia needs to file a return at the end of the financial year regardless of income earned. This obligation applies to all including working holiday makers and students.
If you meet the following criteria, you must file a tax return:
- Tax was taken from any payments you received throughout the tax year, such as wages.
- you are considered an Australian resident, and your income above the tax-free threshold, as well as in any scenario where an employer withholds even a single dollar as a tax.
- you are a non-resident for tax purposes and earned more than $1 in Australia during the tax year
- you are leaving Australia permanently or for more than a year
- If you are a non-resident and your only income from Australia was dividends, interest, or royalties on which tax was correctly withheld, you are not required to file a tax return.
2. How do I know if I'm a resident or non-resident for tax purposes?
The main requirement to be deemed a resident for tax purposes is that you have continuously resided in Australia for a period of 183 days (6 months). There are a number of other factors that will be looked at to determine this but that 183 day residency rule is the main requirement. When you file your tax return you will be asked to compete a residency questionnaire and the purpose of this is to establish your correct tax residency designation
It is for the above reason that we advise that all working holiday makers declare themselves for all jobs as non residents for tax purpose for at least the first six months in Australia to avoid any issue when it comes to filing your income tax return/refund.
3. What happens if you don't file a tax return?
If you don’t file a tax return you’re leaving yourself wide open to fines and penalties. But don’t panic, filing a tax return is easy enough to do, especially when you engage yours truly to do it! Apart from avoiding fines, why should I file a tax return? We’re back to those two words again – TAX REFUNDS! When we file your Australian tax return, we also check if you’re due back money. 80% of our customers who have overpaid tax are due an income tax refund. The average Oz income tax refund is $2600. Starting to make sense?
4. How do I claim my tax back?
Of course, you can always file your tax return and claim your refund with the Australian Tax Office. However, if you need help, why not file it with Taxback.com?
You can skip complicated tax paperwork, save time and stress, claim all relevant tax reliefs, and ensure that you get the maximum Australian tax refund by applying with us.
The best part is that getting started simply takes a few minutes. All you have to do is fill out the brief form here.
5. What documents do I need?
The more info you can provide the better. We recommend hanging on to the following:
• Payment documents eg payslips (your final payslip from each job is the most important so keep it safe)
• Any proof of address in Australia including bank statements, TFN statement, Lease Agreement, Gym Membership, Phone or Utility Bill
• Work-related expense receipts e.g. for Uniform, Work Courses, Tools/Equipment or Car/ transport
I plan to work for myself. What do I need to provide?
If you decide to work on your own make sure you keep ALL of your invoices and ensure they account for all work completed.
6. When can I apply for my tax refund?
You can apply for tax refund when the tax year ends or when you leave. The tax year in Oz runs from July 1st to June 30th. We can also help you to cancel your visa if you have left Australia and you wish to apply for your tax refund now.
7. What's a superannuation/super fund?
If you earn over $450 per month in Australia your employer is legally obliged to pay into a superannuation fund for you. They should be paying 9.5% of your basic earnings (in addition to your wages) into a nominated superannuation fund.
Many employers will have a default super fund that they will pay into, however, we recommend that you try to only have ONE fund. All you need to do is give each of your employers the name of the fund and your member number so they continue to pay into the same one.
This means you’ll be able to claim a refund from one provider rather than trying to track down refunds from lots of different funds. (Trust us, it gets confusing otherwise!)
We can help if you have multiple super funds. Yes, it can get stressful, so leaving it up to a tax expert is advisable.
8. Can I claim my super refund back?
Yes. However, you can only claim your superannuation refund when you have left Australia or your visa has expired. As mentioned above, we can help you to cancel your visa, so that you can claim your super fund now.
9. What do I need to do?
The most important thing to do is to make sure you provide us with an up-to-date contact number so we can remind you when it’s time to apply for your tax refund. Simply send your full name, date of birth, contact number and your entry / exit dates to info@taxback.com. That way, we can build your details into our calendar for both your income tax and superannuation refund.
Our average Australian tax refund is AU$2600
10. How does the tax refund service work?
We specialise in keeping things as easy as possible. Our service works as follows:
1. You fill out a short form
2. We provide you with a free refund estimation
3. We file your tax return and submit it the Australian Tax Office (ATO)
4. You get your refund back and go and spend it!
5. We can transfer your refund to any bank account in the world, so you don't have to worry if you have already left Oz. :)
Our average Australian tax refund is AU$2600