Just needed to jump on and vent about my latest issues with our tax agents. I'd like to point out that up until 2 years ago I used to do all my own tax but then between rental properties, low income tax offsets, child-related tax benefits, well it all just got too confusing.... I mucked up one year and got audited and hit for $2000 I had to pay back. I decided to just start paying a professional to do it. And for the last 2 or so years we've been happy with our tax agents. A lovely man we'll call Scott has handled our affairs nicely. But then this year we got a lady (let's call her Jan given the title of today's entry!!) who has done nothing but shit me to tears!!! She was dipsy during the appointment for a start - never a good sign. Then I had said to her:
"look I'll check on our health records and see if it's worth claiming a rebate but I don't think so as I don't think we hit the $1500 threshold - if you DON'T hear from me tomorrow just go ahead and process our refund"......
Two weeks go by and after 3 phone calls to ascertain why we had not yet received the papers to sign, she finally gets on the phone and says:
Her: "aren't I waiting on information from you?"
Me: "No, I said if you DIDN'T hear from me to just go ahead with the claim"
Her: "Oh, well I'll complete that today and mail it to you"
d'oh thanks. So the forms turn up. I just about die when I see the money darling hubby owes - and why? Because she had not logged into the ATO office and deducted the amounts that he had voluntarily paid to ATO during the year he had his own business .... AND..... apparently I'm getting 4 times the amount back that I expected - why? Because she has me down for an offset that you can only claim had Charlotte been born a full 12 months earlier than she was AND her comment when I called to check was "don't you have two children?"...... oh sweet jesus. So I got her to correct that so I wasn't up for another ATO debt when they figured that one out!!
And for all of this we've been charged $500 for the privilege of getting our tax done - WHAT THE ????? - that is a far cry from the little brochure that appeared in our mailbox in July suggesting that these people could do your tax from as little as $60 a refund (yes, apparently that is only the case if you have one group certificate and no children, rental properties or anything else that would require them to have two brain cells to work out your refund!!) .....
Hubby and I have decided to return to good old e-tax next year - screw it, who needs a tax accountant charging $500 to stuff up your tax return - I'm capable of doing that myself for free!!!
We had the same problem this year too! Marc and I always use e-tax, but thought we had better use a tax professional (yep, you can laugh now) to lodge our returns. Marc told the guy about stuff that he could claim. He wasn't impressed.
ReplyDeleteMine couldn't even give me a close figure, let alone tell me if I'd have to pay the ATO or if I was going to get a refund! And that $160 we will never see again...
At least you can claim the fee back next year!
$500?
ReplyDeleteI thought I was being ripped off for some posh Sydney accountant. At least mine did the job efficiently (and cheaper!).
Hey, I got a letter last week from him. He's moving to Brisbane with his family. Let me know if you want his details...
Crikey! I think you got ripped off there somewhere. Perhaps you had better ask for a detailed list of exactly what constituted the $500 and then question it over and over. That sounds VERY excessive. I have done it myself once or twice but find it just got too confusing so we went back to our trusty accountant who charged us $140 for the two returns and he is GOLD. He seems to know TAX law inside out.
ReplyDeleteoh my god - that's shocking. 500???! this will be my last year of doing my tax myself - just one little group certificate for "single" little me. next year will be mortgages and hubby's mess....yeeks. thankfully he has a friend who does his for a carton of beer!
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