How to improve your children’s financial future can be an interesting debate. Parents have lots of different ideas about success for their children (and themselves). But most parents share similar concerns and worries about their children’s long-term financial security and happiness. Money and happiness are not the same thing, but it appears that certain habits […]
The Etax Blog: Tax Tips
Live-in Landlord Tax Deductions: What you should know about rental income tax
Live-in landlords are common these days, as more and more people choose to lease out rooms in a house they own and live in. It can help pay the mortgage, cover the rising costs of living expenses and fill up space that’s otherwise unused. If you lease out part of your home, you’ll receive rent. This is […]
HELP Repayment Rates: How To Repay HELP Debt Quickly
Need help with HELP debts? Here are some tips on repaying your HELP debt… If you are one of many people who graduated university with a HELP (Higher Education Loan Program) debt, you might not be sure exactly what the steps are to repay help debt. It’s important that you know how to repay HELP debt, […]
Understanding Tax on Bank Interest: What you need to know
It’s important to declare bank interest on your tax return to avoid ATO tax “surprises”. On your tax return, Gross Interest is income paid to you from a financial institution (like a bank or building society). If you have a savings account, you probably earned some bank interest. Your bank reports the interest you received […]
Reporting Your Foreign Employment Income
If you’ve earned foreign employment income this year, find out how to report it correctly on your tax return. Are you an Australian resident for tax purposes and work overseas? If yes, you must report all your overseas income in your Australian tax return. This includes both your assessable and exempt income – even if […]
Do you receive the Government Aged Pension in Australia?
You may still need to lodge a tax return. Many Australians on the aged pension are unsure about their taxes. How do they work when you’re not longer working? Common questions from pensioners include… In this post we’ll discuss the different circumstances where you may (or may not) need to lodge a tax return this […]
Tax deductions for office admin staff – How to boost your tax refund
This one is for all the office administrators out there; the unsung heroes of EVERY business. You are the organisers, arrangers, schedulers and geniuses who bring order and process together to make everything happen how it should. Suffice it to say, without you, the office melts into chaos. (You’ve seen your boss stare blankly at […]
Find Lost Super – Do you have lost superannuation waiting to be found?
If you find lost super, you could give your retirement a boost. It might even mean you can stop working a bit earlier and enjoy your retirement that much sooner. Millions of Australians have more than one superannuation account (super fund). That can mean paying more fees and getting less growth in your savings, for […]
Corporate Tax Avoidance and Tax Gaps: What is it costing Australia?
A common theme in ATO messages this year has been that big businesses are generally doing the right thing. They’re lodging income tax returns accurately and paying the correct amount of tax. Interestingly, corporate tax avoidance is absent from their narrative. Instead, concerns focus on individual taxpayers who over claim deductions. However, the recently published […]
Hospitality tax deductions – now it’s our turn to look after you!
Who knew you could claim the sunscreen you slathered on during those open air functions last summer? Or the advanced barista course that made you the best coffee artist on the strip? We did – and that’s not all! Hospitality tax deductions put a big chunk of your hard earned cash back in your wallet […]
Work at home parent – the ultimate balancing act
How do you build your business when you’re a work at home parent and your adorable darlings are doing their utmost to distract you with death defying leaps, or throwing tantrums that could literally wake the dead? The ultimate guide to finding a work/life balance for work at home parents OK, so you were never […]
Etax Fees: How much does a tax return cost at Etax.com.au?
Here’s everything you need to know about the low Etax fees and why Etax.com.au is Australia’s favourite online tax agent. Why is there a tax agent fee to use the online tax return at Etax? Etax is a registered Australian tax agent that offers you: Etax is like visiting an old-fashioned tax accountant – but quicker […]
When is the best time to do your tax return?
The best time to do your tax return is generally “sooner, not later”, but the reasons and details depend whether you have a refund coming, or you owe money to the ATO. PART ONE: What’s the best time to do your tax return… IF you expect a tax refund? If you will get a tax […]
Filling the pot: Tax deductions for chefs and cooks
Tax deductions for chefs and cooks really boost your tax refund – but do you know what you can claim on your tax return? Most of us have a love affair with food, so the fabulous people who create the dishes in our favourite cafes and restaurants become our absolute heroes. So what can we […]
Claiming Self Education Expenses as Tax Deductions
Self education is essential for our minds, our general sense of well-being and our future employment prospects Technology, software, and workplace processes change so fast, that if you don’t keep on top of it, you’ll quickly find yourself left behind in your career. Worse still, find yourself replaced by a more efficient, clued up, better […]