Etax and newstart

**Marley&Me** · July 19th, 2015, 01:15 PM

I am trying to lodge using etax this year and have come to my spouses details bit. Do I need to include his Newstart payments in his total taxable income? He has worked on and off for the past year so has about 6 months worth of newstart. His payment summary says ZERO. But I am not sure.
I only paid about $300 in tax for this FY and it's estimated $37 return boooo. So if I actually went to an accountand I would end up having to pay them out of my pocket

**~clover~** · July 19th, 2015, 01:51 PM

Yes, as far as I know all income support payments are taxable income & need to be declared as income. We didn't realise this over 10 years ago now & ex received a fine, I think for a few hundred dollars.

**Marley&Me** · July 19th, 2015, 04:40 PM

Wow really? I just assumed because no tax was paid on it that you didn't include it.

**Marley&Me** · July 19th, 2015, 06:47 PM

Also. There is no section to enter the newstart payments. There is a section marked "Australian government pensions and allowances" And when I open the box to read exactly what it is newstart is not among the payments listed.

Oh and apparently I OWE the ATO $37???

**trishalishous** · July 19th, 2015, 11:07 PM

yes into the box for pensions and allowances. Its a taxable payment,even though you didnt pay tax on it
If you owe money then your PAYG withholdings werent enough?

**Marley&Me** · July 22nd, 2015, 04:07 PM

Thanks Trishalishous, but the list of payments doesn't have newstart in it. Are you sure? It's a bit confusing...

**trishalishous** · July 24th, 2015, 12:23 AM

this link might help?
Paying tax on a Centrelink payment - Department of Human Services

**Marley&Me** · July 26th, 2015, 01:12 PM

Thanks! I put it in anyway. Still didn't change anything. Still OWE $32

**~clover~** · July 26th, 2015, 11:08 PM

The thing is that even though it's not taxed, it is income. And they need the whole income, including any allowances or pensions to work out how much tax you are entitled to back. Ex had to pay around $400 back because of it. I don't think it was a fine as such, but they over paid him because it wasn't declared on his return, so it had to be paid back to them.