If you want free help filling out your tax return and you are on a low income our trained Tax Help volunteers may be able to help 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. These volunteers are people from within the community who give up their time each year. They are not Tax Office staff, but they receive training and support from the Tax Office.
Tax Help is available in all capital cities and many country centres across Australia, with volunteers operating from convenient locations in the community. In most places the service is available from July to October.
Tax Help is for people on low incomes including, but not restricted to, those who are also seniors, students, people from non-English speaking backgrounds, people with a disability, Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islander people. Since tax can be complex, volunteers are only able to help with fairly straightforward tax returns. They can help identify and record income received through:
- pensions
- Australian government benefits and allowances, such as unemployment and sickness benefits
- salary and wages
- dividends
- managed funds, and
- interest.
The following table will help you determine if you are eligible for Tax Help.
If you are…
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And your taxable income is…
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A single person
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$40,000 or less.
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Married or de facto
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$40,000 or less plus $2,500 for each child.
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A single parent
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$40,000 or less plus $2,500 for each child.
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Then, you are eligible for Tax Help if none of the following situations applied to you in the previous income year:
- you were employed as a contractor (for example a contract cleaner or taxi driver)
- you were in business, including being a sole trader
- you sold shares
- you sold an investment property
- you owned a rental property
- you received royalties
- you received distributions from a trust other than a managed fund
- you received foreign income other than a foreign pension or annuity.
If you are not eligible for Tax Help you can find information to assist you in doing your tax return using TaxPack or by using e-tax. Prepare and lodge your own tax return electronically. It’s never been easier – 1.35 million people agree.
e-tax, from the Tax Office:
- free preparation and lodgment of your return
- easy to use, with built-in help
- safe and secure
- most refunds in 14 days
- tax debts not due before 21 November, even if you lodge as early as 1 July.
This year it’s even easier, with online access to:
- your Medicare tax information
- your 30% child care tax rebate details electronically
- download your Centrelink payment summary.
Download e-tax at www.ato.gov.au/etax.
If you need to fill out a tax return a volunteer can help you do this. In some cases people on low incomes do not need to lodge tax returns. Tax Help volunteers can work out if a tax return is necessary in your case. If it is not necessary, and you lodged a tax return last year, it is important that the Tax Office knows this. Tax Help volunteers can help you to fill out a Non-lodgment advice if this is necessary. Tax Help volunteers will also be able to assist you with claims for family tax benefit, refund of imputation credits and baby bonus.
- business tax returns
- partnership and trust matters
- capital gains tax (CGT)
- rental property.
Once you have determined that you are eligible for the Tax Help program and want to make an appointment please phone 13 28 61. Tax Help is only available July to October each year.
If you would like to know more about the volunteer program see Becoming a Tax Help volunteer or Tax Help centre.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 3 March 2009
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