?How much will my tax refund application cost?
Firstly, we’ll give you a no-obligation free refund estimation and review of your case.
The fee for a straightforward Australian tax return is $99.
Customers under 21 get a student price of $75.
The exact cost depends on each individual case but we’ll give you a free quote first and then you can decide whether or not to proceed.
For a detailed breakdown of Oz tax refund fees, check out our fees section.
?How do I know if I'm a resident or non-resident for tax purposes?
When you arrive in Australia, typically you’ll be deemed a non-resident for tax purposes. This means you’re obliged to pay tax on all your earnings in Australia.
Once you’ve been in Australia for six months or more, you’ll usually be considered a resident for tax purposes. When this happens, you’ll be entitled to the tax free threshold of $18,200 – which means if you earn under that amount during the total time you’re in Oz, you won’t have to pay tax!
Depending on your work and living arrangements, you may be automatically declared as a resident for tax purposes when you first enter Australia.
For example, you’ll be declared a resident for tax purposes if you’re enrolled on a study course which has a duration longer than six months or if you’ve lived in Australia for a cumulative 183 days.
?I’m a permanent resident in Australia, can you help me file my tax return?
Yes. For permanent Australian residents looking to file their tax return, you can use our specialist tax filing service Advantage Tax.
Advantage Tax was created especially for Australian residents with competitive fees and a simple online form.
?Am I allowed to work on my student visa?
Initially, no, but you can apply for permission to work once your course has started as long as you have evidence to prove it. You can work for a maximum of 20 hours per week during term time and unlimited hours outside term time.
?How much will I get in my tax refund?
Taxback.com will get you as much overpaid Australian tax as legally possible.
If you do get a refund, the amount will depend on factors like:
- Your earnings
- How much tax you paid
- Length of work
- Study-related expenses you incurred
- Whether you set up your life in Australia or ‘jobbed' around Australia
- How much time you spent sunbathing instead of working!
?Musím podať daňové priznanie?
Yes. Australian tax law requires all non-residents who earn income from Australian sources to file a tax return - even if you were only working temporarily.
Accepting a visa to work in Oz means you agree to follow the country's tax regulations and therefore must file a tax return. If you ever want to return to Australia it’s a good idea to have your tax affairs in order so you don’t run into any trouble when you come back.
?When does the Australian tax year end?
The Australian tax year runs from July 1st to June 30th of the following year and you have until October 31st to file your tax return. After this date, you could incur penalties and late fines.
File your Australian income tax return now – better late than never!
?What can I claim from working in Australia?
If you’ve worked in Australia, you could be due overpaid income tax and a superannuation refund. If you overpaid tax, or were taxed under the wrong designation, you may be entitled to an income tax refund.
If you earned more than $450 per month, your employer contributed to a superannuation fund on your behalf and once you leave the country permanently and your visa expires, you can reclaim this money.
?I paid into a superannuation fund - can I claim it back?
Yes – we can claim your superannuation contributions for you once you’ve permanently left Australia and your visa has expired. We can also get your visa cancelled to speed up the process.
If you earned over $450 per month, your employer will have paid 9.5% of your salary into a superannuation fund. This money is not taken from your salary but is an extra amount.
The average Australian superannuation refund we get for students is AU$1908 so contact us at australia@taxback.com or chat live with one of our tax experts now about getting your refund.
?Can I claim back on course fees or related expenses?
Yes, you can claim back on the following:
- Course fees
- Stationery and text books
- Student union fees
- Repairs to educational equipment such as computers
- Car expenses
To claim your course-related expenses we'll need receipts or proof of payment. Make sure you send these into us with your other forms and documents.
If you’ve got questions then email us at australia@taxback.com.
?How long will it take to get my Australian tax refund?
The length of time will depend on the year for which you are applying:
Years 2011-2015: 10-15 working days
Years prior to 2011: Between 6-8 weeks
?How does the process work?
Once we have 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 the Australian Tax Office has your application it should take about 2 working weeks to process.
You can watch the progress of your application on your TaxTracker® account.
As soon as we get your refund, we'll get it to you the quickest way possible.
?How long will it take?
On average, it will take 10-15 working days to get your tax refund, however, sometimes it can take longer or shorter depending on how busy the Australian Tax Office is and for what year you are applying.
For example, at the end of the tax year on June 30th, it will probably take longer.
We’ll call the tax office every day to prioritise your refund.
?Prečo máte minimálny poplatok?
This covers:
- Chartered accountant to ensure your return is legally compliant
- Customer support 24/7 by phone/live chat
- Multi-lingual support
- Free phone/fax
- Local office staff
- Tax technicians
- Researchers on new legal developments to maximise refunds
- Quality review
?I lost my documents / never got my documents – what do I do?
We’ll help locate lost or misplaced documents such as your final payslip.
Simply sign the declaration authorising us to do so in your Australian Tax Pack or ask your Account Manager to arrange this for you.
?What is a Payment Summary/Group Certificate?
This is the PAYG (Pay as you go) form you get from your employer when you finish working for them which details the amount you earned and tax paid. It used to be called a Group Certificate.
Make sure you send it to us when you get it from your employer at the end of June. If you don’t want to wait until then, ask your employer to give it to you when you finish working for them. They might say no but it’s worth asking!
If your employer refuses or you don’t want to wait until June to apply for your refund, we can apply as soon as you send us your final payslip. If you have that, then go ahead and apply now.
?What’s a final payslip?
Your final payslip is the payslip you receive with your final pay cheque. It shows your total earnings and how much tax you’ve 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 wasn’t happy with a previous refund, can I re-apply?
If you filed an Australian tax return in the last two years and you're not happy with what you got or were told you weren't owed a refund, we can look into it for you.
We can assess for free if you’re owed a larger refund. If you decide to re-apply, we can file a new return for you.
?Can I claim my Australian tax refund myself?
You could, if you enjoy the endless search for forms and figuring out the complicated tax code.
Even if you manage to find the forms and decipher the tax code to submit your application, the ATO won’t contact you while your refund is being processed so you won’t get updates on its progress.
On the other hand, we love filing tax returns – it’s what we were born to do:
- We’ll give you a free refund estimate and quote
- If you decide to apply we’ll prepare and file your return
- We’ll ensure it complies with Australian tax codes
- We’ll update you on the progress of your application
- We’ll make sure you get back the maximum legal amount
You can use our FREE online refund calculator here to see how much you could be owed.
Apply for your tax refund with Taxback.com now and let us do the job we were born to do!
?Can you guarantee I'll get the refund you estimated for me?
No, but our tax specialists will 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 so it’s a pretty good indication of how much you can expect.
Naturally, the Australian Tax Office makes the final decision on your tax refund based on their systems and tax codes.
?What's the difference between filing my Australian tax return and getting my Australian tax refund?
Filing your tax return means you submit an honest statement of all your earnings and taxes paid to the Australian Tax Office for their records; this is to make sure you stay tax compliant. We’ll file your tax return to check if you’re due a tax refund.
The ATO will check over your tax return and if you’ve paid more tax than you should have, you’ll be issued a refund.
