Being a single parent is a "lifestyle choice" according to the ATO

L

letiha

Had an interesting chat with the ATO this morning about my HECS repayment, I commented that i still have to pay the same repayments as a single person on the same incoem despite the fact I am a single parent with 3 children. I got told well thats a life style choice...

I said excuse me..... it was not my choice for my husband to leave me with a 4 yaer old a 22 month baby and a 6 week old baby for his new girlfriend... and yes ...she confirmed again, it was a lifestyle choice that i made...deal with it.
She also went on to tell me that she had to pay twice the child care fee's that i do and that she was only on the lowest public service pay, i should be gratefull to get anything...

She also confirmed that she recored the conversation.

Next call was to the complaints line.
 
Might want to look into the single parent pension (you can earn up to fortysomething thousand and still get it), which gives you seriously discount childcare, water rates, car rego, council rates rebate or rent assistance, discounts on more things than you can shake a stick at - its the same card the aged pensioners get. The discounts add up something severe, we're talking *thousands* of dollars a year not just a few dollars here and there. Bear in mind though they take IP earnings into account *before* deductions so its easy to go over.

Back in the day I was earning about $100 less than the pension cut off and getting all the discounts. You also get a massive tax return thanks to FTA/FTB, although you can take that fortnightly.

Kind of puts the HECS thing in perspective.

Of course if you are earning between about $pension_cutoff and $pension_cutoff+$10,000 you're screwed, you'll end up WAY behind in every way. I did the math back then and just couldn't justify going back to fulltime work if my salary was going to be less than $65k (it was just under and they wouldn't promote me if I didn't go fulltime and I couldn't risk losing so much money to go fulltime just on the offchance of getting a promotion), and this was in 2003, the numbers are all way higher now. I lost about $300 a week going from 3 days a week to 4 days and even more if I went to 5 - HECS was one of the culprits. I ended up staying a parttime worker for several more years but quit in frustration and boredom from never getting 'real' work because I was part time. I was a public servant.

I'm not sure if childcare is still as borked as it was back then, but you used to get it for about $10 a week until 35 hours of care was reached, then it jumped by a crazy amount for any extra time.
 
I'm not sure who I want to slap first or hardest - your ex or the ATO person.
As if you don't have enough on your plate without some jealous, low paid ATO officer flexing what little muscle she has by giving you a hard time.
That sort of attitude really gets me wound up!!
 
ask to speak to a manager or call on a different day or time and get to speak to someone else.

i've been told by various companies so often that a manager wont say any different etc etc and they do so ask to speak to a manager or call back at a different time. request a call back from a manager.

i've also heard peopole tell sole parents similar things as if they are jealous of how hard it is when everything is all on one person. look after yourself and your kids. develo the capacity to stay calm no matter what otherwise it will ruin yours and the kids health.
 
if it is any consolation the ATO woman probably lost her job recently. ATO culled a lot of staff.
She is also not on the lowest public service pay at all (minimum APS3 which is up to 50k) and even if she was she is earning more than someone who works at Dominos and I met a solo mum who worked a lot of hours at Dominos.
Anyway you should complain because even though ATO staff get abused a lot they still have to learn how to be proffesional and her comments are not professional at all and quite offensive.
Plenty of other nice people would take her job.

By the way you can get someone better than your ex - a nicer bloke than that.
 
I think the problem really is that single parents are all lumped together as one category.

There certainly are SOME (not all) single parents that DO choose it as a lifestyle choice. Like the woman down the street from me with her 5 (I think) kids that run wild all day long. You get a decent income, H/C home with subsidised rent, maintenance from the Dad's etc. Pop out another, you not only get a pay rise, but a handy $5 as well. Quite a good lark really.

I think Letiha you may be in the minority here. Firstly, you became a single mum by the actions of you husband. It was not a choice. Secondly, you work. Then Thirdly, you are also investing for the future.

I am in no way defending what the ATO girl said, but maybe she had had her fill of the first type of single mum and was ranting a little.
 
Letiha, consider it a compliment! Sounds like your lifestyle may have improved since your ex did you the honour of walking out! :D

I have a friend who is a single mum and doing very well. Every time her life improves, pay rise, another property, she thanks her ex husband for leaving :D
 
On a slightly different note...

Friend's husband of many years wanted a trial separation (no third party involved) so he moved into one of their IP's after 2 months he wanted to come back home.

Wife said 'No Way' "I have got rid of my biggest kid and I am leading the life I want".

Husband still can't believe his trail separation has backfired on him!

Wife can't believe how happy her life has become (reduced housework and whinging).


Cheers
Sheryn
 
Thanks for the support.

I've been "single" now for almost 4 1/2 years, I do have a boyfriend of 1 year, he has his place, i have mine its great.

Actually HECS is not on your taxable income, you have to add back all the negative gearing etc.

I was basically trying to get a deferment of some of the amount i would have had to pay back this year. If they just said no I would have been happy...after all I have a fair bit ($63,000) to pay back.
 
letiha said:
Had an interesting chat with the ATO this morning about my HECS repayment, I commented that i still have to pay the same repayments as a single person on the same incoem despite the fact I am a single parent with 3 children. I got told well thats a life style choice...

I said excuse me..... it was not my choice for my husband to leave me with a 4 yaer old a 22 month baby and a 6 week old baby for his new girlfriend... and yes ...she confirmed again, it was a lifestyle choice that i made...deal with it.
Click to expand...

Yes but you did choose to have children which is definitely a lifestyle choice, as is choosing not to have children.
 
Surely the ATO would recognise that a single parent looking after three children could find it a challenge to pay off a HECS debt.

The ATO website, sorry I don't have the link, suggests you can apply to defer if under serious hardship:

Serious hardship exists when you are unable to provide food, accommodation, clothing, medical treatment, education or other necessities for you, your family or other people for whom you are responsible.

Or for 'other special reasons':

These cover any unusual or exceptional circumstances that do not qualify as serious hardship but make it fair and reasonable for you not to make your compulsory repayment. If you consider that there are other special reasons why you should not have to make your compulsory repayment, you should clearly explain the grounds and reasons for your claim.

Might be worth a go?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
Please kick my tyres.....
2 3
Replies
45
Views
8K
HiEquity
H
T
can you really protect your assets being a male?
12 13 14
Replies
274
Views
29K
TMNT
T
The Y-man
The Investor2009 Interview
Replies
1
Views
12K
The Y-man
The Y-man
S
Journey so far - $75k salary (average), 5 years, 10 properties
2 3 4
Replies
66
Views
24K
Simon L
S
B
Dream to be Comfortable not Rich. Start Now!
2
Replies
33
Views
7K
ChrisA1
C
Back
Top