Etax Blog: Australian Tax News & Advice

Deduct Your Work Related Travel Expenses and Boost Your Tax Refund

Work-related travel expenses can really add up. But at tax time, if you're eligible, those expenses can also boost your tax refund with some big tax deduction claims! What are work-related travel expenses? If you incur any travel related expense that directly relates to your specific job function, you may be … [Read more...]

Proposed GST changes will impact your overseas online shopping

The Australian Government is attempting to level the playing field between Australian and overseas retailers with proposed GST changes effective from 1 July 2017. Here's what you need to know. Australians are increasingly turning to overseas sellers when they shop online to access cheaper prices and a larger variety … [Read more...]

Deliveroo tax help: A tax guide for Deliveroo rider-partners

Here’s everything you need to know about the tax implications of being a Deliveroo rider-partner. Deliveroo is a food delivery service where you can choose high-quality takeaway options from Australian restaurants, delivered by ‘Deliveroo rider-partners’ straight to your home or office. If you’re currently a Deliveroo … [Read more...]

How To Get Your Tax Refund Faster in 2017

If you’re eligible for a tax refund, you’ll want to get it sooner rather than later. Right? It’s uncertain how long a tax refund will take in 2017, for a range of reasons. The ATO has released a lot of changes, warnings and new systems. They are cracking down on many types of taxpayers with closer checks. Plus, the … [Read more...]

Bank Interest: What you need to know at tax time

It's important to declare bank interest on your 2017 tax return to avoid ATO tax "surprises" On your tax return, Gross Interest (bank interest) is income paid TO you from a financial institution (like a bank or building society). If you have a savings account, you earned some bank interest. Your bank reports the … [Read more...]

Etax.com.au: Fast track your 2017 tax deductions

New Etax tax return includes a "fast track" to save your 2017 tax deductions As part of the 2017 tax return upgrades, you can now securely attach all your tax records and 2017 tax deductions to your 2017 tax return - without having to start your 2017 tax return! You can add tax records at any time as well as any … [Read more...]

Income Protection Insurance: your safety net, with a tax perk!

It natural for us to want to protect everything we care about. So, why don't more of us protect our income? Many of us insure our cars, our houses and our possessions, but how many of us protect our weekly income with income protection insurance? The answer is, no many! In fact, when we surveyed taxpayer … [Read more...]

Private Health and Your Taxes: Is Private Cover the Right Choice?

Opinions about private health cover are changing: Tax benefits are part of the decision According to Consumer watchdog, Choice, the "base" level of private health cover required to be exempt from the Medicare Levy Surcharge has been nicknamed ‘Junk’ because those cheap plans cover relatively few treatments – leaving … [Read more...]

ATO crackdown on ride sharing drivers

Concerned that too many drivers are avoiding tax, the ATO is cracking down on ride sharing drivers contracted to companies such as Uber, Gocatch and Lyft Last year the ATO warned Uber drivers that avoiding tax wasn’t an option, this year it’s getting evening tougher. Banks will now be required to provide … [Read more...]

Sun Protection Tax Deductions

There are many professions that require employees to work in the sun for periods of time. With sun exposure one of the key causes of cancer in Australia, sun protection is an absolute necessity for these people. However, sunglasses, sunscreen and protective head gear can end up costing a lot of money. So what can you … [Read more...]

myTax, e-tax, etax.com.au, tax agent office: “What’s the best way to do my tax return?”

Compare myTax and other tax return options: What's the best one for you... The ATO has a new tax "product" called myTax – another way to self-prepare your tax return, replacing the old ATO e-tax software. As a taxpayer it is hard to know what to do. What is the best tax return and what are the … [Read more...]

How to claim tax deductions for car use on your tax return

According to the ATO, car expense deductions are among the most commonly claimed tax deduction items. Up until 2015 there were four ways to calculate and claim your work-related car expenses on your tax return. But with new rules in place from 2016 onwards, things have changed! Here's how to calculate car expense … [Read more...]