Reimbursement
Accredited Tax Help volunteers will be reimbursed for eligible out-of-pocket expenses incurred while participating in the Tax Help program.
If you incur eligible expenses, each month you will need to complete a Tax Help volunteer reimbursement claim form (NAT 72658, PDF 206KB)This link will download a file.
This reimbursement claim form is a legal document which substantiates the payment of governments funds.
The form must be completed correctly. If the details are incomplete or incorrect, we will return the form to you to correct and re-submit.
Tips to correctly complete a reimbursement claim form:
- Fields with an ‘asterisk’ are mandatory and must be completed.
- ‘Total’ and ‘Subtotal’ fields must be completed.
- ‘Total travel claim’ must be in whole numbers – for example, 0.7 km is rounded up to 1 km.
- All bank details must be provided on each form (this is an ATO reimbursement requirement).
- Check the dates you enter match the dates you provided Tax Help services.
- Sign and date the form. If the form is posted to us, ensure it has a written signature (not an electronic one).
- Include your correct volunteer number on the form.
We can't process your claim for reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses until the relevant appointment records and disclaimers have been received from your Tax Help centre, and we have cross-checked the data.
Reimbursement claims must be accompanied by scanned copies of receipts or supporting evidence for each expense. You will need to submit your claim at the end of each month unless advised otherwise. If you don't provide sufficient details and justification for your claim, there may be delays in processing your reimbursement request.
Please keep your original documentation.
We can only reimburse claims for the current Tax Help calendar year.
Final claims for the year must be submitted by 30 November in the year they were incurred. You can complete the reimbursement claims form online or print the PDF form.
Send the completed form to the Tax Help team by email.
Use the reimbursement form to claim:
Eligible expenses
If you are unsure whether an expense is eligible, please contact Tax Help before incurring the expense.
Travel
When attending a Tax Help centre for Tax Help appointments you can claim reimbursement for:
- return travel from your home (or relevant departure point such as place of work) to the centre or venue, via the most direct route
- public transport costs, return trip
- reasonable parking and road toll fees – include receipts.
Generally, you can only claim car travel costs when you are the driver.
We may reimburse eligible travel expenses for induction at a Tax Help centre once.
We can't reimburse you for:
- taxi fares
- parking fines
- traffic infringements
- travel costs to your Tax Help centre when you conduct Tax Help appointments as part of your paid employment
- expenses incurred in buddying a volunteer.
Phone calls
You will be reimbursed for phone expenses for:
- landline phone calls made from your home to a Tax Help client or Tax Help centre for Tax Help purposes
- mobile phone calls made to a Tax Help client or Tax Help centre for Tax Help purposes, but only if you don't have an unlimited call plan.
Note: Landline phone calls to the Tax Help hotline are free. There is no reimbursement for these phone calls.
Rate of reimbursement for phone calls
You will be reimbursed at the rate charged by your service provider.
If you have an unlimited plan, you will not be reimbursed as there is no additional out of pocket expense.
You must provide documentation, such as a copy of the mobile phone bill, highlighting the calls relating to Tax Help.
Tax Help centres are reimbursed separately for phone calls made from their phones.
Other items
Check regularly that you have enough Tax Help supplies and contact the Tax Help team if you need extra items.
There may be circumstances where additional expenses do occur, so please discuss with the Tax Help team prior to making the purchase.
Photocopying will be paid at a per page amount, and only claimable by the Tax Help centre, not the volunteer. You must claim a reasonable amount and supply supporting documentation to show your costs.
We don't reimburse electricity costs for charging your phone or laptop. We also don't reimburse internet account charges – for example, for emails or to submit income tax returns.
If you are making a reimbursement claim for office supplies, you must provide sufficient details of the expense and justification.
How to make a claim
The reimbursement claim form is available as an online PDF. You can:
- complete the form on screen and email or print it
- send the form to Tax Help by the end of the month in which the expenses were incurred.
You must include copies of receipts or supporting evidence for each expense you claim.
If you are sending your claim by email, include a statement that you incurred the expenses performing your Tax Help duties. Your full name must appear in the signature block of your email.
To ensure that the claim is processed quickly, ensure all details are recorded correctly. This includes your financial institution BSB and account details.
Note: If your bank details change you need to indicate this on the form or advise us by email.
Reimbursement claims will be processed when appointment records have been received from the centre and cross-checked.
Special instructions for virtual volunteers
You must be a registered virtual volunteer with the Tax Help program to claim a reimbursement for working from home. You can only be reimbursed the fixed rate of 67c per hour of worktime.
Note: If you choose to claim the work from home fixed-rate option, you can't claim reimbursement of any further expenses. This includes photocopying, stationery, travel, or other out-of-pocket expenses.
You need to meet several criteria to claim reimbursement expenses related to virtual appointments. You must:
- carry out the virtual appointments from your home only
- be a registered virtual Tax Help volunteer to provide virtual Tax Help services and claim relevant expenses
- not already have been reimbursed in any capacity for the expenses incurred
- have incurred additional out-of-pocket expenses
- provide evidence to substantiate your reimbursement claim.
Return to: Tax Help program training.