THE Australian Taxation Office’s (ATO) Tax Help program is up and running again at the Inverell Public Library to help low income earners submit their tax returns online.
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Library manager Sonya Lange said it was a free service.
“It utilises a volunteer trained by the ATO, who they actually found this year through the story The Inverell Times did previously,” Sonya said.
“He will be available for two sessions a week, on Tuesday afternoons and Thursday mornings, but we can make other times if we need to. he’s very flexible about that.”
The service is available to anyone who earns less than about $50,000 per annum, and their tax return needs to be basic.
“So that means no investment properties, no royalties, no superannuation from other countries, and things like those,” Sonya said.
“If it is a simple return, it is a free service and all you need to do is contact us to make a booking.”
The library had offered the services of the program for three years, but Sonya said it had been running for a number of years nationally.
“The tax office actually came to Inverell to run a training session, and they trained a number of volunteers throughout the region,” she said.
“I think this is excellent, particularly because now people need to submit their tax returns online and there’s no longer an option for people to do a paper based return.
“For people who may have a lack of confidence about using a computer, to be able to have the assistance to do their tax for free and know it’s been done right, is a huge relief, I’m sure,” Sonya said.