When you do your tax return each year, do you get the full tax refund you’re entitled to? Are you looking for a bigger tax refund, but don’t know where to start and don’t want to get in trouble with the ATO?
In Australia, millions of people miss legitimate tax deductions. That means people don’t get the tax refund they deserve. Is that you?
Australia’s complicated taxation system includes lots of rules about what you can and can’t claim. Getting tax deductions right isn’t simple, but there are ways to get help and get it right.
Here are some easy ways you can get more dollars in your pocket at tax time.
#1 – Ask your tax agent questions
Do you know every deduction and work-related expense you’re legally entitled to claim on your tax return?
For most of us, the answer to this question is “no”. That’s why most Aussies use a tax agent – more than 70% use an agent like Etax.com.au, according to ATO figures.
Just ask your tax agent about tax-deductible expenses and what you can claim, because they can often suggest additional deductions you didn’t know about.
For example, did you know that, unless they’re paid through your superannuation, you can claim your income protection insurance premiums?
You may also be able to claim work-related home office expenses, mobile phone costs, car expenses, union fees… the list goes on!
Claiming just one extra deduction could mean hundreds of dollars more at tax time, helping you to get a much bigger tax refund.
#2 – Save your receipts with an online tool like Etax
Saving your receipts helps you claim more expenses, which is why it’s a great way to get a better tax refund.
For every work-related purchase you make, it’s important to save your receipts so you can claim the expenses on your tax return. (In fact, not only is it important – it’s the law!)
The easiest way to save your receipts is by using the Etax website.
- Login to your Etax account.
- On the welcome screen, scroll to the bottom section labelled “Add deductions or receipts you have for next year’s tax return “.
- Click the “Add” button to attach receipts and files.
#3 – Claim work-related mobile phone expenses
If you use your mobile phone for work-related calls and use your data to do work related searches, ordering or emails, then you can also claim a proportion of your yearly mobile phone bill on your tax return.
To work out the portion of your mobile phone bill you can claim, you’ll need a monthly account statement from a “typical” month, and a calculator. Work out the percentage of work-related calls you made, and then claim that percentage of your yearly bill.
For step-by-step instructions on claiming mobile phone costs, read this article on calculating your mobile phone tax claim.
Claiming your mobile phone expenses can give your tax refund a BIG boost. If 40% of your calls are work-related, and you spend $660 a year on your phone bill, you can claim $264 of work related mobile phone expenses on your tax return. For someone earning $60,000, that could mean more than $70 more in your refund!
Get a bigger tax refund with Etax
At Etax, we help you claim the full tax refund you’re entitled to.
As part of our service, your accountant checks your tax return for additional deductions that you may not have claimed.
For instance, if you tell us you did a training course that your company paid for, how did you get there? If you stayed overnight, did your boss pay for your food as well as the hotel? Did you have to buy any textbooks, the certificate you earned, or did you use your own laptop to do the study out of hours?
All those little expenses quickly mount up but unfortunately, these are the types of deductions commonly missed off tax returns.
The confidence that you get a bigger refund is what makes Etax Australia’s favourite, online tax agent service, year after year!
Got questions for us about your tax refund?
Our accountants are available to answer your questions, via the chat function on our online tax return. Just start a tax return, once you reach the tax deduction section, click on the live chat icon at the bottom of your screen.
Other related posts with tips to get a bigger refund:
