Does anyone use etax?

[ten*teeny*tiny*toes]

What's with the compulsory mygov thing? Turns out you can bypass it by typing taxhelp as the mygov username (then hit prefill). It takes you to the familiar NOA or secret questions for verification as it used to be done in previous years. Needed it for lodgement as well. I wasted a few hours today - if I can save one person I will be happy 

[fiestas*girl]

All good paintsew!

[mugssy65]

I do my kids using ETax this year was a nightmare! As said above the sites crashed but not until I had got to the very final stages! Then when I tried again a few days later it took me hours because the the name and pass words had gone through but the verification numbers had not been sent!
I will NEVER EVER use the ones Fiesta mentioned again! It makes me cross to even think about it! 3 years ago we went to one and the woman "forgot" to add the Medicare levy! Two years later it was picked up and we owed the money, I don't mind that BUT I do mind being charged interest for two years on a bill we didn't even know existed! I believe they should only be able to charge interest once they have informed you you have a debt!

[ten*teeny*tiny*toes]

Thanks am*3. I've used Etax for years and do the kids' tax returns and its always been simple and very user friendly. I've never had a problem with it - until yesterday!!

The mygov thing I knew nothing about, I unintalled the etax program and then reinstalled it thinking it was dodgy.

Then I actually made a mygov account and still got grief, error messages and problems linking the two. What a nightmare.

I found the workaround on Whirlpool and thought I'd share it here. The tax office will tell you that its a mandatory requirement for taxpayers to use a myGov login when lodging returns online but you can bypass the whole mygov thing. Well this year anyway.

I used one of those cheapie tax agents one year, I think he was using Etax anyway 

[cezm]

The accountants get the same info you do when you do etax i.e. it's all prefilled for them so unless you have a complicated situation it's probably not worth paying. I had been using etax for a few years, including depreciation etc. I found their guides very helpful.

Last year I went to an accountant because my situation changed and all my info was already prefilled for him - salary, tax paid, interest earned, share dividends etc.

I was told (by someone else) that the government has allowed for $300 (at least it was last year) worth of work expenses without question. In doing this they have apparently saved a lot of money as those that used to claim more with creative accounting now seem to be happy claiming up to $300 'no questions asked'.

[fiestas*girl]

oh FYI, the prefilling od data does not always occur with 100 percent of data, for example, rearely do all dividends and interest earned get 'pulled in'.nit to mentione share sales...that only happens if and when the bank or investment body sends their data to A TO

makes me laugh, when we say prefill, everyone thinks its so simple. for me its more work, more checking, because alot of clients only rely on ATO 'prefill' data rather than bring their paperwork, in these cases the chances are ato reduces an expected refund or sends a bill with a nasty penalty when they get info from the bank etc

[fourandsixpants]

I agree....this is what I was talkin' about earlier on fiestas girl.....but am getting slammed down by several proponents of this enema solution on here!

[love*today]

I found it way easier doing my tax this year with the new set up.

I need to ring the ATO though, my DD got a job late last financial year so she did not pay tax and earned bugger all. I'll be spewing if she needs to lodge.

[lyndal1838]

If she has earned anything at all, even if it was non taxable she should lodge a return.

[cherry*135]

If low income earners, especially casual part timers, have had any PAYG withholding tax taken out of their pay, it would be to their advantage to put in a tax return. They most likely will get it back.

[lurker172602]

Except for the one days work I did this fin year at the election. Even though I lodged the form to not be taxed, they still taxed me $4.
I don't think it's worth my time and effort to bother lodging a return to get that back 🙂