October 31 is the deadline for lodging tax returns and yet some people are still making up the boldest excuses just to delay payment.
With only less than a week left to lodge returns, the ATO expects to receive the lamest excuses for failing to lodge tax returns on time. In recent years, a company claimed that their paperwork flew out the car window when they were on their way to see the accountant. There was even an excuse that the business owner had a condition that only permits 30 minutes of work each week.
There people that will even go to a certain extent of putting the blame on other people. One late lodger claimed that the reason for the delay was because his wife burnt everything that belonged to him including his tax records. Another ludicrous reason was that the lodger’s accountant has gone to prison while he was still working on the tax returns. He could not access the computer either.
A back injury also deterred another confused Aussie from lodging tax returns in a timely fashion. The lodger failed to lodge between 2008 and 2015 due to the injury he had to endure. Others are bolder and would even use the recent death of his father as an excuse for the delayed lodgement. Although this sounds reasonable, the ATO found out that he previously used the same excuse.
The ATO has made it easier for Australians to lodge their tax returns. If they cannot lodge on time, there are still ways that the ATO can provide help. Online options and apps are also available so lodgers no longer have to leave their office for a short trip to the ATO. Data-matching technology makes it faster for everyone to fill out their information including dividends, bank interest and wages. The pre-filled information bypasses all the hard work that you need to undergo in the past. All you have to do is to double-check the information to ensure it is correct.
The ATO encourages early lodgement of tax returns because, in the event of making mistakes, errors can still be corrected before the deadline. The ATO also advised lodgers to get in touch with them should they have problems with paying their tax debt. They are willing to create a payment plan tailored to the lodger’s ability to pay. Setting up a payment plan online is also possible, but it will still depend on the lodger’s situation.