I was just wondering if anyone has had good/bad experiences with claiming their tax back after leaving Australia. I have seen 3 companies that offer to claim on your behalf and charge a fee...Traverller Express, Taxback.comand Taxbackaustralia.com...but I'm not sure who to go with.
I want it to be as cost-effective and hassle-free as possible! Any thoughts?
Reply to this Hello Ali and Clio nd welcome to the Forum!
There are two types of tax you could pay. If it is shopping related, it is easiest and cheaper to do it at the airport yourself. The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service has the following information on the
Tourist Refund Scheme.
If it is income related, it is still easier and cheaper to do it yourself. The Australian Tax Office has an e-tax facility which can be used to fill in your forms from a computer - it is an excellent system. More information can be found at
Non-residents - lodging an Australian income tax return and on
Leaving Australia - lodging your tax return.
Overall, I'd be wary of companies offering services such as this, Australia has a user-friendly system for most government services so it is easier, cheaper and faster for you to deal directly with the relevant government department.
Reply to this Hello Shane,
That's great advice, much appreciated. If we fill in the tax return ourselves, should we expect to recieve 100% of our tax back as the taxrefund companies are offering?
Thanks
Ali
Reply to this Not sure what the 100% back claim of the companies actually mean, but you will still need to pay tax. However, it is likely that you are paying too much if you are not working the full year - this means you are paying tax on the assumption that your earnings will occur every week of the year, but this is not the case.
The only thing that these sites can offer you is to make sure you claim all of your deductions, but the e-tax facility points you in the right direction anyway, and they don't charge a thing!
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