Differences between ATO E-Tax and Etax.com.au

The Australian Taxation Office’s E-tax software and the Etax.com.au online tax return are different in several important ways.

A critical difference is the ATO E-tax is government software that you download and install on your computer. Etax.com.au is a true online service – you can access the secure website from any computer, anytime.
At Etax Accountants, we registered the domain name www.etax.com.au in August 1998 and we’ve provided quality online tax return service to people across Australia since 1999.
Later, the Australian Tax Office (ATO) released their software named ATO E-tax. "E-tax" and "Etax" are words used around the world for online taxation and nobody owns the rights to these words.

This table shows the major differences between Etax Accountants and the ATO’s E-tax software:

Difference	Etax.com.au	ATO E-tax Software
Who uses it?	76% of Australians use registered tax agents like Etax.com.au.	Only 19% of Australians download and install the ATO's software in order to do their tax return.
What is it?	Etax.com.au is a web-based online tax return system, accessible via a secure login from any computer that has a web browser.	The ATO's E-tax is an software program provided by the government. It is installed and run on your computer.
Name	Etax.com.au is a website and online service registered by Etax Accountants in 1998.	The ATO’s software is called E-tax (e hyphen tax).
Your Computer	The online tax return works on any computer with a web browser, including Windows, Apple Mac, tablets and even many smart-phones and mobiles.	E-tax can only be installed only on Windows-based computers.
Ownership	Etax Accountants is a family-owned, CPA-qualified accounting practice and registered tax agent, serving Australian taxpayers for over 30 years. Our main goal is to maximise your tax refund.	E-tax is a government-owned software program created by the Australian Taxation Office to be installed on your computer.
Access	You can access Etax.com.au from any computer, laptop or other device, anywhere in the world.	You can only use E-tax on the one computer where you originally install the software.
Usage	The Etax Accountants online tax return runs entirely online and is always accessible.	E-tax requires you to download and install government software onto your computer’s hard drive.
Speed	Most people can finish their tax return with Etax Accountants in about 15 minutes.	ATO E-tax often takes much longer than the Etax.com.au online return – especially when you add the download and installation process.
Security	Your tax return details are protected by the same security systems and servers used by major banks world-wide.	Your tax details remain stored inside your computer. Personal computers are among the most common items stolen in Australia and identity theft is on the rise.
Expert Advice	A qualified accountant will check your return for accuracy and further deductions before submission to the ATO. Need help? Your questions are answered by an accountant working in YOUR best interest – online, email and telephone.	If you use the ATO E-tax software, there is no quality check before lodgement. If you need help, limited assistance is available.
Fees	Our fees start at just $38.50 for certain categories of taxpayers and $55.90 for basic returns. All returns include the highly-rated online system, tax refund calculator and live support.	Using the ATO E-tax software is free of charge, with limited support and of course a tax agent's advice is not available.
Maximum Refund	Your tax return is checked to see if extra deductions or offsets are available – helping ensure you receive the maximum refund you are entitled to.	With no professional checks, using the ATO’s E-tax software could mean you do not receive your maximum possible refund.

Most taxpayers can finish their tax return online in under 20 minutes.

Getting Started: Just complete what you can, finish the signing details, then an accountant will take it from there.

Start My Tax Return Now.

The Facts are in!

More Australians lodge their tax returns with a Tax Agent

The Australian Taxation Office has released summary details of the 12.3 million people who lodged their tax return in 2011. Take a look at these interesting statistics from the ATO:

76% of all tax payers used a registered tax agent such as Etax Accountants.
Only 19% of tax payers install and use the government's E-Tax software.

Some taxpayers believe that by going direct to the ATO they are saving money. Our experience is that those who lodge directly often miss important deductions and offsets that could save them money.

And, these missed deductions can add up. A report by Today Tonight showed that those who lodge directly with the ATO pay on average $1000 more tax than those who use qualified accountants like Etax. More interesting numbers from the ATO: