Tax Help

[sconeonamission]

Ok, I know this late, and pushing things... but does anyone work for the tax dept or tax people or just know things about tax?

I am sitting here *trying* to do my tax. It's confusing me this year. I started uni this year. I am a personal carer and have started my bachelor of nursing.

So I fall into the category where I can claim a lot back. One of the things that has me stumped at the moment is tolls. I travel through the tolls on each leg of the trip (ie: Home to Uni and then Uni to Home). Can I claim this? Apparently I can claim cents per kilometer travelled, but not sure if it includes tolls. Another thing is parking. We have to pay for parking at uni, can I claim this too?

Also, I was just reading I can claim for when ds is in daycare and I'm at uni.. I'm so excited about that, coz that's the only reason he's there!

So, any ideas?

[Jaycee]

I didn't realise you could claim for travel expenses related to education, I thought it was just for work related?

I'd also double check claiming child care, it doesn't sound right to me, unless you mean the rebate you receive from family assistance?

[deletedit]

Use e-tax, it is really good and the online help it comes with is fantastic. It asks you questions as you go through it.

And yeah, child care. You'd be getting the 30% rebate or whatever it is, not offsetting the entire amount. I don't think there is any case where you can claim 100% of childcare back, but feel free to correct me, I'm no accountant and I don't use childcare

[SuperstarMumsy]

Hi, I am an accountant :-) The claiming of childcare relates to the non-deductible portion of self education (basically the ATO deduct $250 from your expenses so you can put in expenses which would normally be non deductible ie childcare. This means your deduction for self education wont be reduced by the $250. Not sure if this makes sense. Tolls would be a deductible expense and travel to and from uni is also deductible, as is parking! Tolls are separate to the cents per kilometres claim :-) So you win on all counts! Let me know if you need any more help!

[sconeonamission]

that makes no sense lol I got my daycare lady to work out for me and in total it's $1200 (or there abouts), and thats just from when I started uni. I get the child care rebate (but have not yet received the last quarter (they're probably waiting for my tax return )

Also, with regards to travel and tolls:
I travel 30km each way (so, 60km a day) and did so for 62 days. so, is it 60km x 62 days = 3720km... 3720km x 74c/km (as per etax help) = $2752.80... is that how it works?

Where do I put parking and tolls?

[Jaycee]

Can't help on the child care sorry.

Your workings out for travel sound right, so long as the cents per kilometre are correct as per etax.

There should be an "any other expenses related to travel" question or worded similar that the tolls and parking go under.

[SuperstarMumsy]

The travel expense is correct, the tolls as Jaycee said just put it in the self education section, if you cant find anything specific just put it in somewhere in there. The childcare, if you put in the $1,200 etax will work it out. But just so you know it isnt actually deductible in the sense you think it is, it really is a bit silly how the ATO work it out. But if you put in the $1200 etax will do its thing! lol