Tax Time 2016 is well underway and the ATO’s Tax Help service is once again assisting low-income earners to meet their tax obligations.
Assistant Commissioner Graham Whyte said that 835 volunteers across Australia will be supporting people who need assistance completing their tax returns this year.
“We know that for many Australians doing their own tax return can be a bit difficult, that’s why we have Tax Help,” Mr Whyte said.
Mr Whyte said that Tax Help is a free and confidential service provided by ATO-trained and accredited local volunteers. It is available to individuals with straightforward tax affairs who earned around $50,000 or less for the year.
“Tax Help volunteers can help you complete a simple tax return online with myTax, claim a refund of franking credits, or notify the ATO if you don’t need to lodge a tax return at all.”
Mr Whyte said the Tax Help program is a community service the ATO has provided for many years.
“The Tax Help program was first available in 1988, and has served just over 1.25 million people since,” Mr Whyte said.
“Last year, our volunteers assisted over 37,000 people. So far in 2016, they have helped over 8,700.”
Mr Whyte said that people who are interested in preparing their own tax return can also try out myTax themselves before heading to a Tax Help centre.
“Tax Help is a great service, but you can always try myTax for yourself before making an appointment. In both cases, you will need a myGov account linked to the ATO. Our volunteers will help you create a myGov account if you don’t already have one.
“The great thing about myTax is the personalised experience. It only asks questions that are relevant to you, and pre-fills a lot of information for you.”
Tax Help is available each year until 31 October in all capital cities and many regional areas across Australia. To find out if you are eligible, go to http://ato.gov.au/taxhelp.To find out your nearest Tax Help centre, phone 13 28 61
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