Like other newsagents I am sure questions are coming thick and fast about tax pack availability. The decision by the ATO to not use newsagents as pick up points will frustrate many taxpayers and newsagents. Some customers won;t wait for answers – they jump the queue and ask while you’re serving a real customer.
The problem is that the poster/ cards from the ATO as advised by Network have not been sent to promote this change to online filing. They must be too busy sending Magazines at the end of the month
This is the first our agency is hearing of a change. So we will not be receiving tax packs in the traditional form this year?
Will we be receiving anything to help guide the customer,i can hear the questions now of how do i lodge without a tax pack.
as per network email:
“From 1st July 2013, paper copies of the individual tax return instructions (i.e. Tax Pack) will only be available by order from the ATO or from an ATO shopfront.
To advise your customers of this change, the ATO have provided you with an A5 double-sided information card. Please see overleaf for example.
This will provide customers the information they will need to complete their tax return.
The ATO asks that newsagencies make these cards available, free of charge, by placing them in a prominent location, either on your counter front or among your ATO related material.”
So I provide them with an information card that I did not get ???????
We have not received this information card yet either. First question in the door today was about tax packs.
Feel like we are being used to give out information now for no reward.
The ATO is paying $8 for every 400 cards!!!
Have not received any info yet either but have customers asking for packs. They must have forgotten that lots of people don’t use computers and most country towns don’t have an ATO shop front whatever that is? Oh well less junk lying around.
Ive had a customer who I had already explained the situation to come back 2 days later because their tax agent had told them to go back to a newsagent and get them to order it in.Frustrating!
Also I’m not sure if the tax tables for next fin year are changing but I haven’t been sent new ones and it starts on Monday and I’ve had a lot of people coming in looking for them.
Received the email, but no card.
Many of our older customers are stunned at the decision by the ATO to stop distributing them via the newsagency. Goes along with Sensis idea to not distribute white pages to all residential properties anymore.
We have had requests for the last month fir these but still no sign of these info cards. I am starting to sound like a broken record.
This won’t be a problem next year, imagine having to phone the taxation dept to have a tax pack sent to you. Not something you would do once, let alone each year. People will have to do their tax online or go to an accountant/ tax agent.
I think they should run tv commercials explaining this not dumping it on newsagents.
No info cards and no happy customers.
It may well save the Govt money in the short term but in the longer term it will cost them a fortune, a really really dumb idea.
All ATO brochures and declarations just took a quick trip to the tip
Who is the Minister in charge – sorry they just left!!!
Haven’t given this much thought before but why do we even distribute government brochures, who agreed to do this on behalf of newsagents?
Another service we don’t need.
Put them back into the government owned post offices.
They do not help our sales at all so let’s all stop supply now.
Am sick of feeling guilty for saying no but need to toughen up! Customers will still come back.
i agree jenny
ditto Jenny. Haven’t had any cards yet but to be offered $8 to distribute 450 x
cards is simply insulting.
I won’t be handing out the cards because
the customers won’t understand what it
means and they will all ask us and we won’t know the answers either.
Out they go into the rubbish (if they arrive at all).
The only good thing about the tax pack was that we used it to market our midyear (financial year) stationery so that
will bite the dust too.
ANF and other associations – another botched job.
To assume that everyone does paperless returns is simply like telling all the baby boomers (I am one) that they are irrelevant.
June what’s the Anf got to do with it ?
Steve, the same email as sent by Network also says that the tax scales haven’t changed so they won’t be issuing new tax tables either.
There is always an opportunity to make money? Many people have been saying how can we do our returns we don’t have a computer.
I thought my wife was joking when she said to me get the old laptop out, run another link, get a table and chair and put it near the office, charge them $ per 1/2 hour for the use.
Shaun’s the ANF was the one that done the deal with the ATO to get them in newsagencies from Australia Post!
Don’t we get tax tables from G&G still? I think only the tax pack comes form Network. I have not heard that there is any change to G&G. I don’t mind giving up a little corner for these forms and I think you will find it does make us a destination and we would pick up some sales from these visitors. I really did not object to Tax packs either but they took up a lot more space. Greg I can just imagin the extra work your litle scheme would create. What button do I press now and so on and on….
I understood we got $10 a month to have on hand the Tax File number declaration forms, the Weekly and Fortnightly tax schedules and a few other forms…. last time I checked this was still happening via Gotch, where we used to go to get more forms when they run low
I seem to have missed any info via Network about the newly non-existant Tax Packs – we started fielding enquiries about two weeks ago re the “new” schedules and re Tax Packs. I would be UTTERLY delighted to send everyone to the local PO – actually, in ignorance, might just do that come Monday, after carefully explaining that the Government has ceased dealing with us.
Yayyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!
it was just rubbish taking up valuable space in my store. i had already decided I was not going to be handing out packs for almost nothing this year. I dont do tax tables or any other government forms either. “go to the PO for that sir”. That jams them up a bit more and allows me to sell profitable items.
I just made a notice and will stick in front so staff and customer don’t waste time asking about it.
Just entering my returns and noticed ATO TAX INFO CARD (CARD) in the “on sale this week” list, so I expect we’ll see them Monday.
Also on sale, Zoo Belly Band. Can’t wait to see what that is…
Just received the sticker they think i am going to put on my window (wishful thinking ) but no cards at all
ShaunS,
I received both.
The sticker is a joke “Taxtime- Come inside to find out more”
Nothing about taxpacks no longer being available at newsagents.
They want to pay me $8.00 to explain to 400 people that we do not have the tax packs.
I might make up my own sticker
ShaunS
We got 2 stickers but no cards also.
Aren’t we going to have fun with this today!
How do you tell customers you don’t want to discuss it without being rude?
I cant believe this. No where on either the cards or the sticker does it point out that tax packs aren’t available at newsagents. Just some ambiguous bullshit about lodging on-line. Were all going to have to explain this to a lot of customers and put up with a fair bit of grief for our $8.
yup, too little money for too much explanation. Gonna play dumb and just say no tax packs this year, that’s all i know.
my stickers in the bin if you want them. I will be giving them the ato phone number or maybe they can check at the post office 🙂 quite happy to refund the $8 dollars if they want it.
Rick, ditto. – it is just insulting to be given the cards with no explanations at all about why we haven’t got the books.
I am just going to play dumb and say that “unfortunately the tax office doesn’t
use newsagents any more”AND NO MORE
EXPLANATIONS AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT CUSTOMER.
I’m an IT guy but it took me a few minutes to order this 2013 Tax Return for Individuals. I feel sorry for older tax payer who are not computer literate. Even worst for no computer or Internet access. Who’s stupid idea is this stopping pickup at newsagents?
Just reading all your blogs about the ATO decision not to have tax packs, I work at the PO dont send them to us, cos we dont have them either send them to the ATO thanks
I’ve been trying to track down a Tax Pack for the last 2wks only to find out here of ATO’s new arrangements. I’m pc literate but don’t want my life story submitted online. They should make it easier for us to get the forms. Another money saving idea?
Tried to get a Tax Pack from the PO. Told that they’re not doing it this year & tax needs to be done electronically. Also advised that there is a $62 fee but you get notified of this at the end of the form.
Where was the notification of the change?
What about the Country people?
We live in Australia not Russia or China. This is just a money grab with all of our financial details out there on-line. Poor effort all up!
There is no fee if you use the REAL etax by the ATO.
I work at the PO too and have had people coming in for weeks asking about the tax pack. We haven’t had them for about 15 years.
I work at ATO and didn’t know that tax packs are no longer available at newsagents. I don’t have the Internet either so now I have to order a t/p from my place of work! BS! Typical!
Is there a site that we can access which allows us to get a tax pack sent to our address?