So they're due on the 31st...

Can anyone tell me how much places like H&R Block and ITP charge for doing tax returns? $50? Or am I underestimating their charges :/

Are they worth it?

Anyone have any suggestions for an awesome tax agent that will give me lots $$deductions$$.

Cheers.

etax - google it

I thought they are around $80ish.

Really depends on how complex your return is.

If it is just basic wage e-tax ftw.

If I knew about all the tricky deductions, I would use etax...problem is....I don't.

hmn, I think I can live with $80

f*** I forgot mine too!!

umm the money you pay the tax man is a deduction the following year anyway

p.s. its only due 31 Oct if you lodge it yourself, a registered tax agent can lodge after then (afaik)

if its only wages just use etax. piss easy. if there are shares or depreciation then get an accountant.

If you do it through an accountant, you get an extra 6 months IIRC. eTax is simple and cheap, but as you said you've got tricky s*** to work out, so spend the ~$70-80 I think and you'll be better off than H&R or ITP. Apparently they only do a 3 week course to get the job and that's it, you don't want some dude who works part-time or casual to mess with your money.

As for who to choose, just go with a firm close to you or ask your work mates (or the forum) who they recommend near you.

cost me 120 last year I havent done this years I have been slack but then again I goto clame s***loads like tools, meal allwance, living away from home, tax offsets, car and depresiation.

If you have anything 'tricky' they will charge you minimum $100, just a basic return with 1 payment summary sets you back >$80. My missus got stung $100 for her basic’ish return i.e. 1 payment summary and the extra was cos she had centrelink payments. I got hit $158 this year as I had 3 payment summaries, depreciated tool values and vehicle mileage.

Next year I will be doing it myself, I can't work out how the f*** the accountant rigged my tools shizzle on depreciated values, and next year the actual amount to be claimed on them will be f*** all and I will have no mileage etc etc so yer shouldn’t be too hard. I figure if it takes me <8 hours to do myself I am ahead, that is the time I would have had to spend at work earning the $$$ to pay an accountant.

In any case, $80 minimum for a basic return. I use some c***s that come to your house and do it, sif I have time to f*** around going to an accountant. They are called ‘mobile tax boys’, but I call them ‘mobile tax criminals’ because of their fee’s, so yer I dun really recommend

i used an accountant this year, coz i got a few investments and being married makes it tricky

NEVER AGAIN
he spent the whole hour telling me what i couldnt claim
cost me 120 bux and gave me a 700 tax bill

in future i will use etax and work it out myself

Sounds like you got a s***ty one spook all the ones i've had were really good and tried their hardest to get me the best return I could possibly get.

Did they change tax laws or something? This year eTax said you could claim up to $150 laundry for work without having to provide receipts, but I could have swarn it was $300.

its 300 total in deductions that u can claim without paper work

I remember several years ago it was $45 to lodge a return (MTA in Upper Mt Gravatt).The following year $50,year after that $55 and then $60.I wonder how much there up to by now?

etax for the win!

I paid 95 or something. Personally worth it since they know stuff. They udner stand depreciation, and laundry entitlements and self education etc etc

That said if you have no reciepts, no self education expenses, no uniform and no investments... e-tax ftw

its 300 total in deductions that u can claim without paper work

correct, you still have to prove how you calculated your deductions (in particular if you get audited, highly unlikely if you are just a s&w earner with a few deductions, but not impossible).

if you have heaps of deductions you are much better going to a tax agent than doing it yourself. people doing it on e-tax are more likley to get an audit than returns lodged thru a tax agent.

i have a lot of expenses and all my reciepts and I got about 2 grand back using etax

seriously, give it a try, if you can't get through it, then get a tax accountant

but it's all laid out for you to easily understand, with hotlinks to explain most of the jargon

last edited by WetWired at 11:14:07 18/Oct/05

I have a profesional do mine now...he also does my business's tax....costs a little more but the past 4 years gotten back around $5000 a year so its worth it.

dont go to itp or any of the chain tax return places. all they do is follow prompts of a computer much like etax, but u talk to them and they click instead of you. if you have a complex income goto an accountant, otherwise goto www.ato.gov.au , for each step there is a help file which will send you to their website and give you examples, case files and court ruliings for every type of deduction you can think of.

Can you guys post the details of who you used? Who you recommend?

At the moment i still have no idea who's good and who's not...