# Tax advice



## Still Standing (Nov 2, 2017)

Hi
Just wondering if anyone with experience of. Tax agent / accountancy .. could explain why after checking someone’s previous tax return on my gov ( with their permission ).....
I have found their spouses’ details were not entered .. even though the person was about to provide them to tax agent .. but they were told they didn’t need to supply them .. and secondly it is recorded on the return that the tax return was completed by my friend not the ........tax agent ... this person signed the tax return trusting the tax agents expertise .. she assumed the agent could access her spouses details .. she was oblivious that the tac agent appears to have recorded her as completing tax return herself .. he charged $180 and the return initially went to his bank account .. before he forwarded the remainder after his fee.
Just wondering why a tax accountant would put on a persons tax return lodgement such a non truth?
And why he omitted a persons spouses details ?
I do my own tax .. and find it hard to believe that a professional could charge $180 for a wage earners tax return ... omit mentioning the spouse .. type in tax return was done by person .. not tax agent ?
The person concerned has the receipt .. and the tax agent has sent emails since drumming for repeat business .
I have removed his bank account details from persons my gov account .. and replaced them with the person concerned bank account details .
Could this be a fraudster ?
Or just a glitch on my gov tax records ?
Thanks to any pros advice 
Cheers


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## Jack Malarkey (Jan 11, 2016)

Still Standing said:


> Hi
> Just wondering if anyone with experience of. Tax agent / accountancy .. could explain why after checking someone's previous tax return on my gov ( with their permission ).....
> I have found their spouses' details were not entered .. even though the person was about to provide them to tax agent .. but they were told they didn't need to supply them .. and secondly it is recorded on the return that the tax return was completed by my friend not the ........tax agent ... this person signed the tax return trusting the tax agents expertise .. she assumed the agent could access her spouses details .. she was oblivious that the tac agent appears to have recorded her as completing tax return herself .. he charged $180 and the return initially went to his bank account .. before he forwarded the remainder after his fee.
> Just wondering why a tax accountant would put on a persons tax return lodgement such a non truth?
> ...


Things don't appear to be right here.

A legitimate tax practitioner will never ask for myGov credentials - they use dedicated Tax Office online services to lodge returns for their clients.

Check the Tax Practitioners Board register to ensure that the person who prepared the return is in fact a registered tax agent:

https://www.tpb.gov.au/registrations_search
If not, the taxpayer concerned may wish to report the matter. See:

https://www.ato.gov.au/Media-centre/Media-releases/Keeping-you-safe-at-tax-time/
If the person is a registered tax agent, the taxpayer may wish to lodge a complaint with the Tax Practitioners Board.


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## Still Standing (Nov 2, 2017)

Hi
Perhaps you have interpreted my post , different than how it was supposed to read .
To clarify 
1 I checked my partners Previous tax return using my gov .. to complete her tax return for this year .. as we are struggling financially .. and we wanted to save $180.

2 Upon checking my partners tax return for last year .. I was shocked to see the tax agent who did her tax return last year hadn’t entered my details as her spouse as required .

3 And also it states the tax return was prepared by her .
Question ... does my gov retain spouses details on record to display on previous tax returns? 
If so this appears to suggest Tax agent didn’t enter my details even though partner as normal was offering them .. but was told they weren’t required .
Why would the tax return on my gov state my partner prepared her own tax return?
Or is prepared meaning she supplied details to tax accountant ?
I took it as meaning it is saying she didn’t use an tax agent .
She signed the tax return .. naively without reading it properly .. as she is a slow reader .. and probably felt hurried .. and like a lot of people just trust the tax agent knows his job .

I am not saying tax agent asked for her mygov details ... only that my gov is showing none of my details or income .. and wrongly stating partner did her own tax return ... if as already stated .. that’s what “ preparing means ?
This has never happened before as far as I know .. I checked the year before and a different tax agent had entered all my details .. and it showed tax return was done by that tax agent .
This means my partner couldn’t claim the cost of last years tax return as it is showing she didn’t use a tax agent .
Could it be a hack?
I can’t believe the tax agent would not think .. this would be an issue ?

It says on the google search .. that it is the ...customer ...who is liable for fines..by ATO..
if they sign a mistaken tax return .. even if tax agent is at fault .

This is stated on kings law firm website .
Should I submit an amended tax return for last year ?
Or contact ATO and explain .. that the tax agent for some reason hasn’t entered spouses details .. and put ...no in the “ did you have a spouse question option .
I can’t fathom why he declined to accept the info my partner was offering .. as it didn’t affect the amount of my partners tax return anyway .. it just seems really odd?


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## Jack Malarkey (Jan 11, 2016)

Still Standing said:


> Hi
> Perhaps you have interpreted my post , different than how it was supposed to read .
> To clarify
> 1 I checked my partners Previous tax return using my gov .. to complete her tax return for this year .. as we are struggling financially .. and we wanted to save $180.
> ...


The way I see it is that if a tax return preparer has used the dedicated tax agent online services to lodge a tax return for a client, it would show up as having been prepared by the tax agent.

I have just checked my own myGov account and it does show my partner's name and her taxable income.

My expectation is that the tax return preparer chose not to include your name as they would then need to advise your taxable income for the purposes of possible liability for the Medicare levy surcharge. I suspect they just wanted to complete the job as quickly as they could.

I would encourage you to confirm that the person concerned is indeed a registered tax agent and that their registration remains active:

https://www.tpb.gov.au/registrations_search
Note that a tax deduction is available for the cost of preparing a tax return only if the preparer is a registered tax agent.

If you confirm that the preparer was indeed registered, you could claim the cost in your partner's 2019-20 tax return as she in fact incurred the expense during that year even though it was for the 2018-19 income year.


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## Still Standing (Nov 2, 2017)

Ok thanks ..for your advice ...


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