Is it any wonder that people don't make the effort to do their tax properly ...it just isn't worth the hassle.
I do attempt to get it right, and I do my own because of incompetence of a couple of tax agents previously. I'm sure a lot take a guess rather than find out the correct way, so why pay them to take the same guess I can. But you can't blame them when the ATO does not know how to apply their own rules!!!!!
I sometimes have to call them to have something clarified which can waste hours and hours. And some of the people they have in the dept must be anal nerds! In situations which could be explained as simple as a+b+c/d=e, they will
use a 20 step process to achieve the same answer. Admittedly there will be times when the 20 step process is probably necessary, but when they have the specific details and it is not ...why confuse the issue unnecessarily?
Last year I wrote to them to put my query in writing with details, a copy of their worksheet which did not seem to make sense and asked to explain how to apply my situation. It took months to get the reply which resulted in having to ask for an extension ........and when I aske for the extension I was asked how much time I needed. IT WAS THEIR HOLD UP
When I got the reply it did not answer my question, so reluctantly I wrote a complaint. The reply to my complaint did not answer my question either, so phoned the writer of the letter (I actually had a direct number and a full name
!!) He apologised, understood what I was after and said he would have someone experienced in that area to call me. A couple of week later I did get a call which answered my query and acknowledged that the calculating steps explanation could be improved. I initially put my query in writing in September, and by their own std of service I would have had a reply by 30 October. I finally had my query answered in mid January the next year
Yesterday I phoned ATO re the laptop issue and another related to depreciation. I was transferred twice to more experienced staff and after 1hour 20 minutes I was told that further referral was necessary and I would be phoned back. All they were doing was reading the guidelines like I had done, and finding various sections which went close to covering the situation but falling short for one reason or another. No one seemed to have any expertise. How bloody hard is it to answer what must be a very common question about a laptop used for taxable income. UNBELIEVABLE.
I have a lot of references and names I can use to justify my frustration with ATO over the last few years if they ever want to get picky with me. A friend received a naughty girl letter last year because she forgot to include a small amount of interest from
one of her 4 bank accounts. She was told she would be fined if she did it again. YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING, THEY OUGHT TO GET THEIR OWN SYSTEM IN ORDER FIRST.
