‘Acting like they're on parole': Proof Aussies are straight-up paranoid at tax time
From July 1, Australians can start lodging their tax returns for the financial year from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025.
This is a shock to approximately no one, as that is how the financial year works. However, when news.com.au hit the streets of Sydney's CBD to find out if Aussies were clamouring to submit their returns or putting it off, the vibe was off.
People acted less like we were asking if they had submitted returns, which is something pretty much anyone who earned money in the last 12 months needs to do, and more like we were asking them to admit to a crime on camera.
Some were happy to stop and chat, but as soon as the word 'tax' was dropped, they immediately fled, one man even broke into a jog.
Is anything worth jogging over? Keep in mind, we weren't chasing, I said, 'no worries have a good day!'
At one point, the Gen Z cameraman I was with pointed out that everyone was straight-up 'acting like they're on parole'.
Aussies were acting suspiciously, and there was a lot of nervous laughter.
Finding out if people had lodged their returns yet felt as taboo as asking a Boomer how much money they earn.
The response was nothing short of cagey and borderline paranoid.
We spent over three hours approaching people and got five people to agree to be on camera, with the rest seeming genuinely terrified at the prospect.
The most amusing part was that the people who did stop to chat certainly didn't say anything controversial.
When news.com.au asked one woman in a fancy scarf if she had gotten around to doing her tax return, she said she was on top of things.
'I have, yes,' she said.
The woman then explained that she was happy with what she got back, but it would be going towards something pretty boring.
'Cost of living expenses and paying off a number of debts' she explained.
Similarly, another woman who had already completed her tax return said she was planning to funnel what she has received back into her savings.
'Saving for a house and marriage. All that good stuff,' she said.
She did add that she used to have way more fun with her tax returns.
'Not one cent went into savings. It went straight into shopping,' she said.
Meanwhile a man in a trendy blazer admitted he was less on the ball.
'Definitely have not done it yet,' he said.
When he does get around to doing it, though, he certainly doesn't have big plans for the tax return.
'I'm not much of a spender so I'll probably save it,' he said.
Although he did add, 'I have a partner that likes to spend.'
Another man said he was in 'the middle of doing' his taxes right now and the 'vast majority' would be going back into his savings.
A tradie that filmed us chatting to him for his Snapchat story admitted he hadn't gotten around to it yet either.
'I haven't,' he said.
Accountant Linda Mirams told news.com.au that she's unsurprised that we got a frosty reception roaming the streets of Sydney.
'It is so much to comprehend and that is why people get nervous,' she said.
Ms Mirams argued that people get nervous around tax time because there's not enough education around it.
'Most ordinary people don't have any idea about the basic tax system. It is crazy,' she said.
'There's also so much publicity and hype around audits.'
The accountant advised that Aussies shouldn't worry so much, as long as they're not actively trying to deceive the tax office, any issues can usually be sorted.
'If you're way outside the norm, which is when you get flagged. There's so many little tricks around how you're allowed to claim stuff,' she said.
'If you do get flagged there are two parts. Firstly the ATO will go 'you're outside the norm' and you've got 28 days to respond.'
Ms Mirams said as long as you can justify the expenses, then you're fine, and she stressed that there's a 'review process' and it isn't a witch hunt.
'You're not out having coffee and next minute you're audited and then being dragged away by the police,' she promised.
The accountant said that, even if you make a mistake on your tax return and the ATO flags it, you don't need to panic.
'People think 'oh my God', but if we put everyone in jail that has a tax debt half the country would be in prison,' she said.
Ms Mirams said that often, when you make a mistake, the ATO adjusts the outcome, and you pay back any shortfall. If you can't afford the bill, you can then go on a payment plan.
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