Accounting minutes, June 2011

5. Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) and Student Financial Supplement Scheme (SFSS) 2011 statement run

Fran Southward, Assistant Commissioner, Client Account Services

The annual information account statement mail out to HELP and SFSS clients has been re-scheduled to issue using the client's residential address. The change to previous advice that HELA statements would only issue if requested, is due to the unavailability of the IVR option in time for Tax Time 2011 so the decision has been made to send the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) statement.

Members will be included in future consultation work to identify the level of information required for the tax agent portal and HECS account. Members agreed that the current level of information, that is, the account balance, is sufficient for tax agents to prepare income tax returns.

The pre-filling report does include higher education details, expected availability date is 1 July 2011.

Sections within Agenda items

• 1. Opening, introductions and apologies
• 2. Confirmation of minutes of 8 April 2011
• 3. Review of action items from previous meetings
• 4. Proof of identity requirement for agents
• 5. Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) and Student Financial Supplement Scheme (SFSS) 2011 statement run
• 6. Tax file number enhancements - Improvements to individual tax file number registration
• 7. Tax Time 2011 - lead up to 'go live'
• 8. Pre-filling of tax returns
• 9. Impacts on members related to the global financial crisis
• 10. Other business