Question about My Tax Return

Lalex232 on 07/07/2025 - 01:36
Last edited 07/07/2025 - 01:37

Hey Team,

So long story short I haven't submitted my tax return in about a decade. Various reasons but mostly laziness, but anyway..

So I contacted a trusted family accountant and he called me up on the evening 30th of June to organise.

He sent through the paperwork which I am meant to sign so I'm not sure if this is going through for this financial year or last.. but that part doesn't bother me much.

The job title on both my roles are incorrect and the figures seem kinda low.. so a few queries I am hoping you guys might be able to help me with..

He reckons the earliest return I have is for 2017 (1 July 2016 - 30 June 2017) despite my starting working after completing studies in October 2015 and I don't remember doing any returns after that date. Would this be included in 2017 and onwards?

Also.. some years despite working full time and basically the same hours (salary job) my amount earned is less? Could this be because I used annual leave?

I'm thinking I should just trust him cos this stuff is pretty complicated (despite being a law grad and reasonably intelligent this accounting shit is over my head (and yes there is a little bit of this in law, too! but I managed somehow haha)

One really important query.. I did WFH from 2020 onwards.. he took into account the tax situation afforded to basically everyone during the lockdowns etc. here in Vic.. but I was basically WFH all the way until end of 2024.. he said for that he would need to go through 'hours' worked at home.. is he trying to make it easier for himself here?

He wants to charge a little over a grand for all the returns 2017 - 2024 and these aren't particularly complicated returns.. no real deductables to speak off. Just wondering if I am getting ripped off?

Thank you!!

Financial Income Tax Return

Comments

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      • mapax on 08/07/2025 - 15:47

        Unfortunately denied.
        It’s missing HS and doesn’t conform to the 7 character format.

  • morse on 08/07/2025 - 01:47
    +4

    $1000 for ten years of returns is very reasonable. They charge you per year no matter how many years you do at a time.

  • Morven on 08/07/2025 - 03:51

    Agree with the others. $1000 is a very good price for catching up on all these returns. Also you should find that cost is tax deductible, so you'll get most of it back in the next tax year. The accountant's fee is the least of your worries.

    I once fell 5 years behind so I can kind of relate. All I would say is DO IT NOW. Get this stress out of the way. You'll feel so much better. And don't fall this far behind again!

    • Daabido on 08/07/2025 - 13:22
      +1

      Unless you are the Treasurer or Prime Minister and are six years behind on your returns and are trying to do the dodgy with your pig farm sale.

  • cybapete on 08/07/2025 - 09:44
    +2

    it's practically guaranteed that OP doesn't owe any tax or the ATO would have been hounding them long before this
    call the 1k a stupidity tax and just pay it

  • mungas on 08/07/2025 - 10:20

    Irrespective of whether your accountant's fees are considered reasonable or not, you should get these lodged asap. The amendment window starts when you receive a notice of assessment for that year, meaning that the Commissioner is unable to review your tax affairs after the amendment window ends. For a simple individual, it's likely a 2 year window.

  • StalkingIbis on 08/07/2025 - 12:16
    +2

    Lionel Hutz?

  • Nugs on 08/07/2025 - 15:12

    Member Since
    07/07/2025
    .

  • Purp on 08/07/2025 - 16:16

    you must think you're so much better than everyone else

  • Brucet on 08/07/2025 - 16:45

    You need an honest and professional accountant do it for you. If not, you will get in big trouble.

  • rumblytangara on 08/07/2025 - 19:14

    He wants to charge a little over a grand for all the returns 2017 - 2024 and these aren't particularly complicated returns.. no real deductables to speak off. Just wondering if I am getting ripped off?

    Mate, you have totally F'd up your tax returns for seven years and you think it's 'not particularly complicated' but you're complaining that that he's charging you aroudn $130 a year?

    Either do it yourself and get your shit together, or stop thinking you're too intelligent to pay someone else to clean up your mess for you.

    FFS.

    • serpserpserp on 09/07/2025 - 08:42

      He doesn't want to lose an hour of wages though. He just thought you pay accountants a flat fee for a job, like $50-$100. Similar to what he pays his shoe shiner to do a few pairs.

      • rumblytangara on 09/07/2025 - 09:14

        On second thoughts, it's got to be a troll post.

  • brad23man23 on 08/07/2025 - 19:26

    If you pay the $1000 to do it now, you’ll be able to claim it as a deduction next year - which will be good incentive for you to do it then

  • sobes on 08/07/2025 - 22:46
    -2

    I'm surprised at the weird undercurrent of hostility in a lot of these replies.

    Think it's an easy call to pay the grand to this guy and have the backlog completely cleared up, that's the reason you sought his help to begin with after all.

    • rumblytangara on 08/07/2025 - 23:53

      I'm surprised at the weird undercurrent of hostility in a lot of these replies.

      Seriously?

      I am terrible with stuff like accounting and taxes, but I blame myself and don't think I'm to smart to be wasting my time on it and that some 'dumber pleb' accountant is ripping me off for sorting out my mess.

    • Protractor on 09/07/2025 - 10:14

      It's the level of raw naivety of some responses, that concerns me. It verges on being cute.

    • V2L on 09/07/2025 - 10:36

      then help them, or be judgmental about people being judgmental.

  • haemolysis on 09/07/2025 - 10:44

    If not a troll…

    I can appreciate it can be hard to work things once you've left them for years, but it's a bit difficult to advise someone if they say things along the lines of "this seems low but maybe it's not" and "maybe it's this - but maybe it is not." "Maybe I took leave? Maybe not."

    Well, what is it lol. Are we, your accountant, or the ATO, supposed to fill in the gaps of your life history? Go gather the evidence, and/or make the relevant statutory declarations.

  • Baghern on 09/07/2025 - 11:32

    Just for the pile on..

    I'm thinking I should just trust him cos this stuff is pretty complicated (despite being a law grad ….

    then

    and these aren't particularly complicated returns.

    WFH is a deduction, depending on how much you claim, you'll like need to create and keep record

    its the note a case of 5 tax returns, its ensuring theyn line up thats the issue

    $1000 sounds cheap for the mess you created

  • Falkner on 13/07/2025 - 11:26

    Wow, what a moron.

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