Your responsibilities
Your responsibilities as a Tax Help volunteer include:
- reading and abiding by the Conditions of Participation you have signed
- recording your Tax Help volunteer ID number and centre ID number on all tax returns you lodge
- keeping within the scope of the program
- only providing Tax Help services at an authorised location and at authorised times
- maintaining confidentiality and professionalism in all dealings with taxpayers
- not advising or calculating a tax liability or refund
- confirming appointments with your centre at least the day before
- ensuring appointment records are completed and returned to your Tax Help centre coordinator on completion ofach day’s appointments
- maintaining regular contact with Tax Help
- ensuring reimbursement claims are submitted to us at the end of each month
- submitting administrative information to us on time.
Code of conduct
The Code of Conduct requires that a Tax Help volunteer must:
- behave honestly and with integrity
- be punctual and reliable
- advise us of anything that may reasonably affect our decision to allow you to participate in the program (such as a conflict of interest, charge, or conviction of a criminal offence)
- notify in advance any changes to your availability or personal circumstances
- display professionalism and courtesy in all interactions
- maintain confidentiality about dealings with taxpayers
- work within the guidelines of the Tax Help program
- follow work, health and safety protocols
- abide by the rules, policies and guidelines of your Tax Help centre.
Tax Help limitations
As a Tax Help volunteer you are trained to help people with simple tax affairs. You can't help people who:
- don't meet the eligibility requirements for Tax Help
- have any questions about the progress of their tax return after it has been lodged
- have any questions about their notice of assessment.
Volunteers are not permitted to accept payment, gifts or other recompense from taxpayers or on behalf of the centre. Penalties apply for anyone charging or receiving a fee for services as a Tax Help volunteer.
If you're unable to help a taxpayer, you may suggest they see a tax agent. You can't, however, refer a taxpayer to a particular agent or practice.
You may also refer them to the National Tax Clinic program, a government-funded initiative to help people who may not be able to afford professional advice and representation with their tax affairs.
Protecting personal information
Taxpayer information must remain confidential. Appointments must be conducted in a private area.
Ensure taxpayers take all personal information with them at the end of the appointment. Never keep details or documents, even if the taxpayer is returning to the centre for further assistance.
Make sure you:
- lodge online returns in the presence of the taxpayer.
- delete all files about the taxpayer from the computer before they leave.
Communication with Tax Help
Tax Help will keep in contact with you and your Tax Help centre throughout tax time.
Contact Tax Help for assistance with:
- training and assessments
- administrative tasks or reimbursement claims
- ATO equipment
- any other enquiries or issues (except those which should be directed to the ATO Tax Help hotline and myTax helpline).
Integrity checks are also done by other areas of the ATO. You may be asked to help these processes by identifying the tax returns you prepare and providing us with information on online lodgments.
Any feedback you have or that you receive can be sent to TaxHelp@ato.gov.au.
ATO support
Tax Help volunteers have access to an ATO Tax Help hotline number for any tax related questions you may have while you're assisting a taxpayer. This number will be provided once you've completed your training.
Calls from Tax Help volunteers are given priority. The hotline is available Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 8:00 pm to support you while you are helping taxpayers.
Always identify yourself as a Tax Help volunteer and quote your volunteer ID number if requested. Inform the operator that you have a taxpayer with you and need to have the enquiry attended to immediately.
Politely refuse any requests to accept a call back later to answer your query.
Don't allow the operator to end the phone call without giving an answer to your question.
If the operator is unable to answer your question, ask to speak to their supervisor and put your question to the supervisor.
The hotline number is for Tax Help volunteer use only. Taxpayers should phone us on the individual enquires line on 13 28 61.
Taxpayers’ rights and obligations
We have a responsibility to help taxpayers understand their rights and obligations and to meet acceptable standards of service delivery. The ATO Charter outlines these rights, obligations and standards.
People you can help
As a volunteer you can only help people with an income of $70,000 or less who have simple tax returns and claims. This may include (but are not limited to):
- a student with casual employment
- a young person who has just started their first full time job
- a new migrant to Australia
- a person who speaks little or no English
- an international student
- a backpacker with a working holiday visa
- a salary or wage earner
- a person earning superannuation or dividend income
- a person receiving income from Centrelink
- a person with a disability.
Regardless of their situation, everyone who accesses Tax Help have one thing in common – the need for help with their tax return. Most will require help with both the information they need to enter in their tax return and with online lodgment.
People you can't help
Some parts of a tax return can be complex. For this reason, the Tax Help program is limited to people with simple tax affairs. You can't help someone if they:
- worked as a contractor – for example, a contract cleaner, taxi or uber driver
- ran a business or worked as a sole trader
- had a partnership or trust matters
- sold shares or an investment property
- owned a rental or investment property
- had capital gains tax (CGT)
- received royalties
- received distributions from a trust, other than a managed fund
- receive foreign income, other than a foreign pension or annuity.
While your Tax Help centre should ensure that appointments are only made for eligible participants, there may be instances where a person is found to be ineligible for Tax Help during an appointment. People with more complex tax matters should be encouraged to seek advice from the ATO or a tax agent. You may also refer them to the National Tax Clinic program.
What help can you give
It's the individual's responsibility to provide documents and information required to complete their tax return. You can only provide assistance if the required information is available.
As a Tax Help volunteer you can:
- answer basic tax related questions
- determine if the taxpayer needs to lodge a tax return or claim
- help the taxpayer complete their:
- tax return
- application for refund of franking credits claim
- non-lodgment advice
- amendment (for 2015 returns and later) – provided more than 2 years has not passed since the date on the notice of assessment for the relevant income year
- refer the taxpayer to the ATO if you're unable to help them.
You'll need to:
- sort documents, ensuring they relate to the taxpayer and to the appropriate income year
- decide which information is needed for the tax return
- ask appropriate questions so relevant deductions and offsets can be claimed.
As a volunteer you must be prepared to:
- help with myGov, including creating a myGov account if needed
- lodge online with myTax, except in exceptional and limited circumstances
- get the taxpayer to sign a disclaimer form for paper returns.
Tax Help volunteers should encourage individuals to complete their own tax return wherever possible, guiding them through the screens as needed. The option for the taxpayer to self-lodge should always be offered first, but it should not be forced. Some people may not feel comfortable using computers and may prefer the volunteer to prepare and lodge the tax return on their behalf.
Return to: Tax Help program training.