Our skilled accountants would love to get your 2018 personal tax return sorted quickly and easily for you. Book in online for an appointment to see, or have a chat over the phone with, one of our accountants at 25/50 New Street, Ringwood.
Our prices for tax returns for the 2019 financial year start at $220 for a basic individual tax return. If you have a rental property, capital gains calculations, significant investments or a business schedule, the pricing point will more likely be around the $500 mark.
However, ultimately there are two factors which dictate how much your tax return should cost:
1. How organised you are
This one’s fairly simple: the less organised you are, the more time the accountant has to spend following up with you or communicating with you …which they will usually charge for.
2. How complex your tax issues are
The more complex your tax issues, the more time will be required by senior accountants, making the return more expensive. This means the more deductions your accountant has to consider and work through, and the more ‘difficult’ sources of income you have (businesses, rental properties, or asset sales), the more you’ll end up paying.
What do I need to provide?
We’ve put together a handy form to fill in of all the relevant documents to consider when preparing your return which will help you be super organised!
If this is your first return with us, we ask that you bring (or provide in advance) your:
- Tax File Number
- Current bank account details (for your ATO refund)
- Your most recent lodged tax return
For both new and returning clients, the main items to bring along are your:
- PAYG Payment Summaries, and
- Tax Statement from your health insurance provider
If you forget something, don’t worry. The ATO can provide us with some information to help us complete your return, and you can always email in any missing documentation and we can finalise the return over email.
How do I make an appointment?
We’ve tried to make the booking process as simple as possible. Here are the best ways to book in to see us:
- Click here to book in online, or
- Call us on (03) 9870 7247
Too busy for a face to face meeting?
That’s fine too, you can self serve here and pick the services you need and then upload your documents to our secure portal and we can have a chat over the phone about any queries you might have.
How long does it take to complete my tax return?
We allow 1 hour for our individual and couples tax return interview, but most returns take less than that. For most returns, it takes less than an hour for our interview and for us to consolidate all the information that we need to finalise your tax return. We would usually be able to give you a close estimate of your tax refund or amount payable by the end of the meeting. In some cases, we might even have it all prepared and ready to sign by the end of the hour. If not, we will typically finish off your return and have it to you to review and sign within 24-hours.
After we’ve lodged your return, the ATO’s ‘benchmark’ timeframe for processing tax returns is 28 days, although they typically process most returns within 14 days. In some cases, they can take longer than the 28 days, and that’s when we’ll call the ATO and find out why it’s taking so long.
When is my tax return due?
We get it – your tax return is hardly the most important thing on your mind; plenty of people want to put off their tax return until it’s REALLY due.
31 October 2018 is the official due date for most 2018 tax returns. If you’ve officially engaged the services of an accountant by that time, the ATO typically extends the due date to mid-May 2019. A small number of people have different due dates based on their circumstances. If you’re new to us, we recommend getting in touch with us by 31 October at the latest.
I’m WAY behind on my taxes… Can you help?
We make it easy for you
The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can get the ball rolling on getting the ATO to stop charging you penalties. We will deal with the tax office on your behalf and negotiate the best possible outcome for you.
Worried about paying too much tax?
Once all your returns are up to date and lodged we will have a clear understanding of your tax and penalty interest situation. We have plenty of experience negotiating with the ATO regarding outstanding tax debts, we are able to minimise any penalties and interest by getting some or all of the fees remitted. We can also negotiate a payment arrangement to pay off any debt that is outstanding over a period of time.
Whatever your situation, we can help you. Regardless of your circumstances, it’s always better to start and to know what you’re dealing with – then we can prepare a strategy to tackle the problem.
Contact Stone Accountants today to get a handle on your tax situation.