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

Are you wondering about the differences between ATO E-Tax and Etax.com.au?

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

• Etax (this website) is a true online tax agent service – you can access the secure website from any computer, anytime – plus you can get help from an accountant anytime as well. Etax was started in 1998.
• “ATO e-Tax” was government software that you downloaded and installed on your computer. (It’s not available anymore; it was retired in 2016 by the ATO.)
• Etax (this website) is upgraded every year to make tax easier for you, now including deduction tips based on your occupation, easier online help and information, improved auto-prefill (using ATO data), easy view of last year’s return, fast section selector (so you can skip the bits you don’t need) plus an improved tax refund calculator that updates every time you add something to your tax return.
• Etax (this website) includes checking and advice from one of the biggest tax agents in Australia… all at one of the lowest tax agent fees in Australia.
• Etax support is aimed at improving YOUR refund and helping steer clear of ATO trouble or delays with your tax refund. The goals of ATO’s e-tax and myTax programs is not clear, aside from being free.
• Reports suggest that self-handling of your tax affairs (like using ATO myTax) can lead to lower average tax refunds than using a tax agent. That’s why most Australians prefer to pay a small fee for a service like Etax… plus they get the peace of mind in knowing that trained accountants have reviewed their return and lodged it for them.

Did you know…

• MOST tax returns are lodged via a registered tax agent such as Etax.
• Only a small group uses the government’s myTax or paper forms.

Some taxpayers believe that by going direct to the ATO they are saving money. Our experience is that people who lodge directly often miss important deductions and offsets that could have saved them money. The effect, year after year, is that you may lose money you deserved top get.

Missed deductions add up. Reports have shown that, over time, people who self-prepare their taxes using ATO systems pay around $1000 more tax than those who use qualified accountants like Etax. More interesting numbers direct from the ATO:

• 38% of tax payers donated to charity and claimed the donation as a deduction.
• 65% of all tax payers claim some form of work related expenses.

A tax agent like Etax is working on YOUR side, to help find more items to claim, boost your refund and avoid ATO problems.

Your Etax return can be done in minutes.

Your tax agent fees are tax deductible.

There has never been a better time to do your tax return at Etax. We look forward to working with you this tax season!