Bert Girle, Director

Have you heard of The Government’s roll out of the new MyTax system? Users all over Australia will be receiving text messages to inform them over the coming weeks.

So what does this mean for you? Let me tell you.

What is MyTax?

MyTax will enable tax returns to be submitted via a smart phone, tablet or on a computer through a web browser (i.e. Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox and Safari). MyTax will PRELOAD much of the information required on the return. This means that millions of Australians will simply have to review and modify (if required) the pre-filled information online before lodging their return – bypassing the need for paper, pens and software downloads. But will it bypass the need for an accountant?

Can I use MyTax?

Millions of Australians will likely be eligible to use MyTax. According to the Federal Government’s media release:

Taxpayers will be able to use MyTax if:

• they were an Australian resident for the financial year;
• they have income only from salary, wages, allowances, bank interest, dividends and/or Australian government payments;
• their only deductions are for work-related expenses, expenses related to interest or dividend income, donations and/or the costs of managing their tax affairs; and
• the only offsets they want to claim are the senior and pensioner tax offset and/or zone and overseas forces tax offset.
• Taxpayers will receive an SMS or email from the ATO advising that MyTax may be right for them.

Taxpayers are ineligible to use MyTax if they have:

• business income or losses
• rental properties
• partnerships or trusts, including managed investment trusts
• capital gains or losses
• foreign income
• lump sum payments
• employee share schemes
• superannuation income streams and superannuation lump sum payments.

It’s important to note that to be eligible you must adhere to ALL the pre-requisites, however if you fall under ANY of the ineligible factors you cannot use MyTax.

Do I still need my accountant?

First and foremost, if you’re eligible to use MyTax it would still be beneficial for you to have a trusted accountant. Even if your tax return is relatively straightforward, effective tax planning can ensure that your tax return outcome is maximised to keep more money in your pocket. MyTax is an incredible improvement for tax lodgement, however we want to make sure that you are financially fit and ready for anything.

I’m pretty sure I can use MyTax – Should I?

Before you jump in with both feet, have a quick chat with us to ensure MyTax completely covers your needs. If MyTax is all you need we’ll likely recommend using it as according to the ATO, MyTax is supposed to be quite easy to use. However, easy doesn’t always mean that it’s the best, for example, MyTax may not claim ALL valid deductions. Without the help of a skilled tax accountant you could be missing out.