myGov vs Etax vs tax agent office

“What’s the best way to do my tax return?”

Let’s compare myGov, Etax and other tax return options: What’s the best one for you?

The ATO advertises a tax system called myTax, which is inside the myGov website – and it’s one way to lodge your tax return.

As a taxpayer, it is hard for you to know what to do. What is the best tax return and what are the alternatives?

Let’s compare the most popular tax return options including the ATO’s myTax…

Etax

• Do your tax return online in minutes
• You can see your deductions from last year, as a reminder
• Stuck? No problem – get help on live chat or phone (with a real accountant who’s on your side)
• Deduction tips (based on your job) help to boost your refund
• Tax returns for all taxpayers, from students, to your 1st job, to high income executives
• Less reading: Choose the bits you need and hide the bits you don’t need
• Your tax return is checked by a registered tax agent before it gets lodged at the ATO
• Get friendly help to deal with scary ATO audits, ATO letters or amended returns
• You can feel confident that your taxes were checked and done right
• The low fees are tax-deductible
• Australia’s top-rated tax agent

ATO myTax

• You have to register all your personal details on the Government’s myGov website before you start myTax
• On average, people get smaller refunds using myTax
• At first it looks simple, but this can be deceiving; if you use myTax, it is very hard to find and claim all the deductions you deserve
• Difficult to know if you’ve done it right
• No help, and nobody there who’s on your side
• No checking from a tax agent
• If you make a mistake, the ATO will just change your return (often, reducing your refund); to fix this you need a tax agent to lodge an amendment
• ATO audit or troubles? If you used myTax, you are on your own
• The ATO’s real job is to collect more tax money (whereas, a tax agent’s job is to get you more money)

Old-Fashioned Tax Agent Office

• Your appointment and travel could take 1 hour or more
• Must take all of your tax info and papers with you… let’s hope you don’t leave anything at home
• You get advice when you’re there, but typically little or no support after you leave (whereas, you can contact Etax anytime)
• You might not get advice from a real, qualified accountant (at Etax even the phone support staff are degree-qualified accountants)
• Cost of visiting a Tax Agent office can be expensive; advertised prices are low, but the real amount you pay is usually MUCH higher

The ATO’s main job is to collect tax money – not to give it back

If you paid for work-related expenses that could get you a better refund, with the ATO you’re on your own. Remember, the ATO’s job is to collect revenue, not help boost your tax refund, and they don’t give you tax advice before you lodge your return.

The ATO has more than 20,000 employees who work every day to enforce 5,743 pages of tax rules. Their job is to collect more tax revenue, enforce tax laws, and catch your mistakes. The ATO issues new warnings almost every month, about new “compliance priorities” and new triggers that can cause an audit on your taxes.

An ATO audit is a very unpleasant experience.

The ATO could make myTax work better for claiming deductions and getting the biggest tax refund you deserve – but they don’t. Their priority is collecting more taxes.

How do normal Australians do it?

Most Australians use a tax agent like Etax. A tax agent’s job is to get you a fair go and make it easy for you. That’s why most of us ignore ATO ads telling us to use myTax.

Who do you trust with your taxes?

This is a question a lot of people ask. For many, the answer is Etax. It’s been around for 28 years, it is 100% Australian, and Etax wins awards every year for top customer service. When you use a tax agent like Etax, you get online convenience, personal service, plus the confidence that your return is correct.

And you get the best possible refund!

Focus on how to spend your tax refund and leave the tax homework to an expert

At Etax, we think we’ve got a pretty good service, but don’t just take it from us! Here are some results of our client survey:

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Australia’s ProductReview awarded Etax the “Most Satisfied Customers” Award for the past SIX years

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