Tax time

[Guest deardos]

Hi all,

 

its tax time again, as I have been here only 6 months I haven't really spent anything on work related items to claim. I work for a council so I am PAE. But I have just thought could I claim any expenses for the visa, moving related costs as I could say I moved for the job .... But I was coming anyway.

 

I don't really want to employ an accountant as even my clothes came from the uk and I can't claim for them. I don't have any tools.

 

Has anybody else claimed for these moving cost on there first tax year claim. ? I have earnt just over my tax free threshold so I should get something back..... But no real expenses. ..... .

 

can anyone point me in the right direction ?

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

If you don't want to pay for a tax consultant, you're really left with individuals previous experience - which you have to take with a pinch of salt as we aren't qualified lol.

 

But imho, no you won't be able to claim for anything work related, unless you wear branded clothes in which case you can claim a dollar or so a week for laundry, or if you are a manual council worker and had to buy steel toe cap boots etc.

 

Moving costs are a no-no, they aren't a direct expense of your work, (unless you were commuting to Adelaide every week from the UK for work reasons and that was part of the role, which I guess the council would be paying for anyway lol).

 

You don't get them back as such anyway, they are just 'off-set' against your tax (its a bit confusing - in our case - we could claim around $600 for work expenses, and had earnt a few K under the threashold as we didn't work much this year, so got all our tax back plus around $13 for work expenses stuff (in the weird way that tax is all swings, roundabouts and cloaks and daggers)), so its not like you get the actual amount you spent back, I think you get the GST on the work clothes and stuff back.

 

My way of thinking is - if you want to get the max back, pay someone to do it for you, if you're happy getting your tax owed back without having to jump through hoops, prove stuff etc, then just file yourself. We filed ourselves last year and this (we worked 1 week before the tax year ended last year and like I say, only sporadically this year), but next year we will probably get an accountant as things will probably get ever so complicated with earning proper money and seeing what we can actually claim for (other than my really obvious Teacher's stuff).

[Blossom]

No you can't claim any of your moving expenses.

 

Do you wear branded clothes? Do you work outdoors?

[Guest deardos]

No blossom it don't to both questions.

 

Big thanks to Adelaide bound ! You have cleared it up for me. I will do it online myself this time but when I have a full year in next time I will get an accountant !

[Blossom]

Ahhhh, well there are my easy claimables crossed out. :-)

[sinob]

You should consider ringing the ATO with your questions. I called them yesterday, was on hold for all of 2 mins and spent 2 hours on the phone to them! They were exceptionally (and unexpectedly! ) helpful. They are also sending out the "Tax pack", which apparently has all you need to use e-tax.

[NicF]

If you use the e-tax system it will ask you lots of questions and help you work out if you can claim anything. However, if you work in an office full time, have no other income except a bit of interest on savings and don't have anything else much happening financially then chances are there isn't really anything else you should be claiming for. Also, if you use e-tax it will pre-fill some information for you if that info has been lodged with the ATO. It will also give you an estimate of the tax you owe or will get back. I've already done, and lodged, mine and my OH's tax returns using e-tax.

[geoffuZz]

Can I just jump in and ask a question..? How much does it cost for an accountant to calculate the tax return for the year? Is there a difference if you are employed or if you are self employed? Would you normally only need an accountant 1nce a year or on a monthly basis? (more for the self employed or freelance worker?). If you are under the tax bracket (what amount is it?), then do you still have to pay tax and then claim it back according to the money earned at the end of the year?

 

Just trying to understand the whole concept...

 

Thnx.

 

Geoff.

[snivag]

If it's just a simple tax return pay the $60/70 to an accountant, any decent one will easily get his fee back for you.