Big Brother Is Watching - Ato

[ritchie77]

With tax time having come and gone for another year and having just lodged my tax return it got me thinking re the ATO and its powers...... I have just read an interesting article about the ATO and its 'big brother' powers......

Apparently they will now have more powers than ever to access information from Banks and Government departments and this is the reason behind the ongoing delays for tax returns as they have new technology and more information to go through!

I have just lodged my return however will have to wait 40+ days for my $$$..... Have any others had the same experience? What are others views on the ATO's powers and how/what they can access? ie will they be able to access Centrelink payments/entitlements, Rental Bond lodgments, Council rates notices etc? Not sure what they are relating to but interesting to see what others think and whether it will affect them?

Thanks

Rich

 

[gooram]

My wife's and my returns were lodged on the same day, hers was paid in a week, and I'm into my third week, still with nothing.

Not sure why this is the case, I've never waited this long for a return, so can only assume they are scrutinising it more than usual.

Hope it's not an indication that I'm about to be audited, not because it wasn't correct, but who needs it!

 

[Luv2Travel]

I have just lodged my return however will have to wait 40+ days for my $$$.....

Why so long? Mine took 2 weeks.

As for Big Brother - doesn't bother me. I have nothing to hide. If it helps catch out welfare and tax cheats, then I'm all for it.

 

[JamesGG]

http://www.ato.gov.au/corporate/content.asp?doc=/content/00250973.htm

Three weeks or so isn't unusual at this time of year, particularly if you've got HELP / SFSS debts, or have something involving Centrelink or the CSA.

Or, if they think that you're up to something.

40+ days is only for paper returns (ie, not electronic) and shouldn't be an issue for most people. They've sorted out most of the bugs that broke the system for a few months earlier this year.

 

[Mry]

http://www.ato.gov.au/corporate/content.asp?doc=/content/00250973.htmThree weeks or so isn't unusual at this time of year, particularly if you've got HELP / SFSS debts, or have something involving Centrelink or the CSA.

........

They've sorted out most of the bugs that broke the system for a few months earlier this year.

I don't think so. They are taking a very long time with many of my clients. Every day I field 4-5 clients awaiting refunds from returns lodged 4 weeks ago. We have one guy I dealt with today who had the money credited to his ATO Income Tax account 2 weeks ago and it hasn't issued yet. He isn't the only one. We are seeing refunds though, which is good considering the months delay we were seeing back in March.

I hope they get this under control because some clients are VERY good at being noisy and demanding despite showing them the ATO's account page and our lodgment reports.

I am a little surprised there isn't anything out in the media about these delays.

 

[Jeith]

Have had this same issue with some of our clients, ATO's stance is that they are swamped and it is taking up to 30 days to process some refunds.

This doesn't mean that they are looking any closer at these returns

 

[jaycee]

I did mine last night., happywith the result.

I hoped it would come extra quicklylike it did last year, but will see - it's defintiley not in my account yet today

 

[joeExpat]

30-40 days is pretty quick, it takes them over a year to process a tax return here in Switzerland, sometimes over 2 years. I got my last tax refund 17 months after the end of the tax year. In contrast my Australian return took 2 weeks.

 

[ritchie77]

So its not only me! Good......

Just wanted to see how far they would go and which govt departments they liaise with? Obviously know they use banks and get i amounts - just what else?

Not that I have anything to hide with mine - sure mine will come out fine

 

[JohnJC]

Just wanted to see how far they would go and which govt departments they liaise with?

They data match just about all other gov depts. I'm still surprised at what we receive from the ATO on clients. We can almost prepare the return without the client supplying anything!!

JC

 

[RumpledElf]

The ATO etax app prefills an amazing amount of stuff. They already have some serious data sharing going on.

That said, I haven't done my tax yet since my return always hinges on my partner's and my ex's tax returns and I won't get a cent until theirs is processed. My partner hasn't got his group certificate from centrelink yet OR the centrelink stuff pre-filled in etax so not much we can do. He was getting a payment for 2 months of last financial year but it came as backpay in July so I have no idea what is going to happen with that. Centerlink was giving him other money for the same period but what is prefilled in etax explicitly excludes that period.

Confusing!

 

[ritchie77]

Is this State govt as well as Federal? ie NSW housing, QLD Housing, SA Housing etc.... Or mainly Federal ie Centrelink, Family Govt etc....

 

[Mry]

Have had this same issue with some of our clients, ATO's stance is that they are swamped and it is taking up to 30 days to process some refunds.

This doesn't mean that they are looking any closer at these returns

We are getting conflicting stories from the ATO for our clients. Sometimes the portal tells us the refund will process on a certain date, only for that date pass and the refund still hasn't issued. Sometimes the call center person would tell us that the money will issue shortly, but it doesn't. I am sure some of my clients think I am telling them stories.

I called the ATO yesterday about that day's batch of clients who have not received their money and they said their EFT module was not working so they had to transfer the funds manually.

It seems obvious to me that something is fundamentally broken over there when almost every one of my clients last year received refunds within 10 days, and I have clients about to pass the 30 day mark.

 

[fernfurn]

Rumour as fact, ato have processed the returns but on the release date it is typed HOLD i.e: no release date. One worries the govt is running out of money, or maybe wanting to make their coffers look good for the election.

 

[jaycee]

Don't tell me that, I'm hping to get mine soon.


Damn, not in my account yet.