Getting Your Tax Back

If you’re coming to the end of your travels, don’t forget that you could be owed some tax back from slaving away all those hours trying to get by in this expensive country. The good news is that you can claim your tax back either before you leave the country or at the end of the financial year which is 30th June, whichever happens first.

In Australia, tax rates range from between 13 to 29% depending on the type of work and how long you spend in the country. If you are a temporary worker, then this amount will show up on your wage slip and accumulates on a weekly basis. This amount is then forwarded to the Australian Tax Office (ATO) by your employer.

Now you know where it goes, but how do you apply to get it back? The easy way to get this back is by letting someone else do it. Backpackertaxrefunds.com.au are specialists with many years of experience in Australian Income Tax and is a godsend to all lazy, time deficient working holiday-makers and foreign students. Even if you simply want a quote of how much you are due, you can pay a visit to their Tax Back Quote page and request a free refund quote. They take a fee of 9.9% of the amount of your tax back, but this is capped at $165, so you won’t have to pay any more than this, and there are absolutely no hidden charges. They also operate on a no refund, no fee basis, meaning all you have to do is register and fill in their tax pack then wait.

The second way is to fill in the forms yourself. The ATO has provided a service called Etax which can be completed online if you have all the information at hand and should take under an hour. Of course, you will need to provide some information so keep a hold of your wage-slips and most importantly your PAYG (Pay As You Go payment summary).

The next thing you should check is the fee you would be paying. Be highly suspect of percentage fees and when in doubt use a company that offers a flat fee that you are happy with which is usually around $100. Also, check in advance for hidden fees as some charge admin fees and even a fee to transfer the funds into your account. Whilst that feeling of being short changed may be all too familiar the end of June suddenly feels like Christmas with the anticipation of a four figure bonus from the ATO, be careful how you arrange your taxback to ensure you receive the full amount and when in doubt go to someone you can trust. After that just think about what you can do with all that extra cash.

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