5 Common Tax Return Mistakes

The most common tax return mistakes are easily detected by the ATO

The ATO works hard to find mistakes on tax returns. With more tools and access granted to them every year, it’s getting easier all the time. So, if you think you can get away with a few extra deductions or leaving off your side-gig income, think again.

These days, the ATO collects a huge amount of information about all of us. Our employment and Share Economy income, bank and credit transactions, health insurance, centrelink, child support, bank interest… the ATO can see it all.

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These days, your tax return is almost like an “honesty test” because the ATO knows so much already.

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What the ATO doesn’t know is what your tax deductions are. BUT they are watching your deduction claims more carefully than ever before.

Here’s what the ATO says about it:

Enhancements in technology and the use of data means we are able to take a much broader approach than previous years; and identify and investigate claims that differ from what is normal across all industries and occupations.

Will you find yourself in the ATO spotlight?

It’s important to lodge an accurate tax return to avoid getting into hot water with the ATO. Exaggerated or “guesstimate” expense claims, or a lack of receipts and evidence, will often be flagged for investigation at the ATO.

So let’s help you stay of their naughty list:

Our Accountants list the top-5 tax return errors

Below we’ll outline five common tax return mistakes: Avoid these, and there’s less chance you’ll head for a walk down the ATO’s “tax audit trail”.

1. Guessing or estimating your income and tax paid

On your tax return, make sure you use accurate figures when you enter your income and the amount of tax you’ve paid. The ATO has records of this and they compare what you submit against the information they already have. They might not have records of some types of income, like consulting or solo work, but they can see your accounts.

With some employers sending PAYGs, some using single touch payroll, and some maybe nothing at all, it can be hard to be sure about all your income. All your entries must be correct and complete. Just a few out of place dollars can attract the ATO’s attention, so it really does pay to use a tax agent. Why?

A tax agent will download your income data, directly from the ATO. Etax does this for you automatically, as soon as you start a tax return.

2. Guessing or estimating your tax deductions

The ATO has become obsessed with the tax deductions claimed by ordinary Australians. They could be nabbing big-business tax dodgers who hide all their profits overseas and pay no tax, but that’s more difficult. The fact is, they are looking directly at you and me.

There is one important thing the ATO doesn’t already know about you, and that’s what tax deductions you have. This makes them a bit uncomfortable. Deductions are something only you can keep track of.

That said, don’t think it’s OK to be “creative” with tax deductions because the ATO will analyse every expense you claim. They compare your deductions against other people in your line of work, your location, your industry, your age group, and their own ‘benchmarks’. If your deductions look too high or out of place to the ATO, watch out!

TIPS:

• Save receipts into your Etax account – and save the receipts as soon as you make a purchase, so you don’t have to hunt for them later.
• Enter the genuine amounts from your receipts into your tax return.
• Tax agents know what the ATO is looking at, and they know exactly what is allowed in your deductions.
• Learn more about tax deductions
• How much can I claim without receipts? See number 5 below!

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3. Failing to declare overseas income

Lots of Australians work overseas for a period of time during their lives. Often they forget to pay their Australian taxes. Others simply assume they don’t need to lodge a tax return back home. Big mistakes!

If you work or have recently worked overseas, talk to a tax agent to make sure you your Australian tax returns are up to date. It will keep you out of trouble and help you avoid large, ‘late’ tax payments down the track.

The fact is, if you are an Australian resident for tax purposes, you should still lodge an annual tax return in Australia, even if you are living and working overseas at the moment.

You need to declare all your foreign employment income AND any other income you receive from that country.

Foreign income includes:

• pensions and annuities
• employment income
• investment income
• business income
• capital gains on overseas assets

Are you working overseas but not sure about the tax rules back home? You really should talk to a tax agent. Don’t leave it to chance and don’t self-prepare a tax return unless you really know what you’re doing.

4. Over-claiming expenses for rental property or holiday rental property

The most common tax return mistakes are due to the strict rules applied to when you can and cannot claim expenses for the property. It’s not as simple as you might think.

If you own a residential or holiday rental, it’s worth making note of the following:

Common tax return errors:

Holiday rental properties:

• Remember that you can’t claim deductions on a holiday rental property that is not genuinely available for rent. For example: When you stay in your holiday home personally or you allow friends or relatives to stay in the property free of charge. These periods of occupancy must be removed when calculating your overall expenses.
• If your holiday rental is only available to rent for part of the year, you must adjust your deduction claims based on the portion of the year the property was for rent. Your Etax Accountant can help you do this.
• If you and your spouse jointly own a property, split the expenses evenly between both tax returns.
  • In the online Etax tax return, you can specify your ownership percentage of the property. You should claim only your percentage of all claims and figures for that property. (This also applies for residential rental properties.)

Residential rental properties:

• You must declare all the income you earn from your property each financial year.
• You can only claim expenses for the period of the year the property is available for rent.
• Expenses relating to the property, prior to be it being rented for the first time, are NOT claimable.
• The costs of renovations and capital works cannot be claimed straight away. These are claimed at 2.5% of the total cost, each year, for 40 years.

5. No receipts for deductions, no proof of purchase

Paying money for work-related items and not keeping a receipt is a costly mistake – one that a lot of people make.

Basically, without receipts for your expenses, you can only claim up to a maximum of $300 worth of work-related expenses. But even then, it can’t just be a ‘made up’ tax deduction. It has to be a genuine expense.

Remember: If you over-claim your deductions and get a bigger tax refund than you’re entitled to, the ATO can ask you to repay some or all of your refund – plus interest charges and possible penalties as well. That also goes for claiming big deductions that you can’t prove.

If you have a question about a particular deduction or expense you’d like to claim, contact an Etax Accountant by clicking ‘My Messages’ when logged-in, or hop onto live chat as you fill out your tax return. You’ll get expert advice to ensure you get the best refund possible AND lodge an accurate tax return

Get More info:

• How much can I claim without receipts?

• Record Keeping Tips = Pay Less Tax