Tax Help program kicks off again
Published on 20 July 2015
Need help with your tax return? Once again free help is at hand for people who earned $50,000 or less in the last financial year to complete their income tax returns.
Volunteers will be available at Mildura Rural City Council’s Deakin Avenue Service Centre and also at Sunraysia Mallee Ethnic Communities Council (SMECC) to assist eligible taxpayers to complete their personal income tax returns as part of the Australian Taxation Office’s (ATO) Tax Help program.
Community Wellbeing and Services Portfolio Councillor Sharyon Peart said Tax Help is a free community service and Council was pleased to be able to support the program again this year.
“We have been involved in this program for a number of years and have found it to be very popular.
“Lodging an income tax return can be confusing and the Tax Help program aims to make the process a little simpler, providing free support to people to prepare basic individual tax returns,” Cr Peart said,
Cr Peart said the Tax Help program catered for people on low incomes and may also be of benefit to people who have never completed a tax return before or do not speak English.
“The appointments for the service are also available from SMECC.
“To be eligible for the service, you must have earned less than $50,000 in the last financial year. Tax Help volunteers are not able to assist tax payers with more complex tax affairs such as income from business, investment properties, rent, voluntary agreement or royalties.”
New ATO guidelines also indicate that people who have earned less than $18,200 and who had not had any tax deducted from that income did not need to lodge a tax return.
“Even if you have only earned a relatively small amount in the last financial year, if you have had any tax deducted from your earnings then you should lodge a tax return,” Cr Peart said. “You may have money owing to you.”
Tax Help is a network of community volunteers who provide a free and confidential service to help people complete their tax returns at tax time. They can also give you advice on how to complete your tax return next time.
These volunteers are people from within the community who give up their time each year. They are not ATO or Council staff, but they do receive training and support from the ATO.
Tax Help appointments are available from Monday 3 August and people can book a 45 minute appointment with Council by contacting us on (03) 5018 8100 or with SMECC by contacting them directly on (03) 5022 1006.
To find out if you’re eligible for Tax Help or to see if you are required to lodge a Tax Return contact the ATO on 13 28 61 or online at www.ato.gov.au
ENDS
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Angela Umback
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