Parents from every place, in every era, share something important: We all want our children’s lives to be better, happier and more prosperous than anyone’s before. Could the opposite become reality for Australians? Baby Boomers may well be the first generation seen as wealthier than their children. That’s one of the conclusions drawn from a […]
Tax loopholes: Corporations pay less tax than Aussie workers
Should businesses shoulder a fair share of taxes compared with hard-working Australian people? We might see this question discussed more in coming years. Using an international shell-game to move earnings away from the tax man, corporations legally avoid taxes in countries like Australia, even though they earn billions here. Similar tax breaks are simply not […]
Is Your Tax Refund Affected by the New Private Health Rebate Changes?
A very common question from taxpayers this year: What’s the ‘private health insurance liability’ on my tax return?” In short, the private health insurance liability is an amount you have to pay back at tax time if you over-claimed the private health rebate during the year. This stems from the Government’s 2012 changes to the […]
How much super do I need for a comfortable retirement?
Everyone has different ideas of how their retirement might ‘look’. How much super will be enough depends on many things, starting with what a ‘comfortable’ retirement looks like to you. You might want to travel or you may want to dine out every week at a fancy new restaurant. It could be that just want […]
Sorry! An Embarrassing Mistake
This week at Etax we’ve been very excited about the release of our new 2014 tax return. It includes a lot of hidden, technical wizardry that makes the tax return more transparent and easier for Australians. Ten high-skilled software developers have worked hard for a year to build it and we’re proud that an independent […]
Introducing the Etax.com.au 2014 tax return
The 2014 Tax season is less than two weeks away and we’ve got some big news to share with you… The Etax.com.au 2014 tax return is improved, better than ever and it’s ready now. At Etax we live by our motto “making tax easy”. After a huge upgrade for 2014, we hope you’ll agree that […]
ATO to investigate 10 million taxpayer financial records
The latest ATO welfare and tax crackdown will see the financial records of over 10 million Australian taxpayers go under the microscope in the coming months. What is the ATO looking for? Here are a few highlights in the latest ATO crackdown: Credit Cards: The ATO has requested taxpayers’ credit card records from 10 major banks, […]
Bankers Call for Tax Cuts for Parents
With the government’s October tax forum fast approaching, industry body, the Australian Bankers Association (ABA) has called for increased tax cuts for parents and the simplification of complex taxes at both a State and Federal level. Help and Tax Cuts for Parents In the ABA’s eyes, the biggest concerns everyday Australians are currently faced with is […]
HELP Repayment Scheme to Stay… For Now
Important Note: The Federal Government has legislated this change and ended the HELP repayment scheme. For a full overview on all things HELP related, we’d suggest viewing our article on how to repay your help debt. Back in August 2013 the Federal Government announced they would end the discount for early HELP debt repayments. Good […]
Tax Information for People Affected by Natural Disasters
Natural disasters take an incredible toll emotionally, physically and financially. In times like this, it’s vital to know your entitlements and where you can go for help. If yourself or a loved one has been affected by natural disaster, please read our guide below for assistance. Need more time to lodge, pay or respond to […]
Motor Vehicle Data Matching in Full Swing at ATO
In its crusade against what they call the cash economy’, the ATO has announced plans to collect the details of all individuals and businesses that have purchased or acquired a vehicle where the transfer and/or market value is $10,000 or greater in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 financial year. This involves computerised “motor vehicle data matching” […]
23,300 TFNs Compromised Last Year
The Australian Tax Office (ATO) has revealed that 23,300 Australians had their tax file number compromised in the 2012 financial year, up from 22,000 the previous year. In an effort to combat the rise in identity fraud and compromised returns, the ATO has embarked on an intensive audit campaign when processing this year’s tax returns. […]
New carbon tax had no effect on inflation
Private analysts TD Securities-Melbourne Institute’s inflation gauge rose 0.6 per cent during August, but according to their head of Asia Pacific business, Annette Beacher, there does not appear to be any noticeable impact from the introduction of the Carbon Tax. A few goods and services increased in price during August which contributed to the 0.6% […]
Superannuation Co-Contribution: Get More Money for Your Super
Ever wonder how you can better prepare yourself for retirement? Low or middle-income earners can give your super a nice boost – with very little sacrifice! Read on to find out how you can take advantage of the Federal Government’s superannuation co-contribution scheme. What is it the government super co-contribution scheme? The super co-contribution scheme is […]
Income Tax Breaks could mean more $$$ in your pocket!
With the government tax forum drawing to a close last week, one significant proposal on income tax seems to have gained some traction. While not committing to a specific timeframe, Treasure Wayne Swan explained that government is in the planning stages of raising the tax free threshold to $21,000 – a move that would also […]
