The mark of a skilled writer is when the reader can imagine themselves in the shoes of the protagonist - even better when writer and protagonist are the same person. I file Australian tax returns for myself and my Indonesian wife (because I love her and don't think she deserves this bullshit), neither of us currently Australian resident. Getting past the MyGov gatekeeper is a nightmare. Just one of the many delights - when you log in it caches your identity somewhere, so it you try to log in to someone else's account it gets the two mixed up and has a massive dummy-spit. So I have to use a different browser to do my wife's taxes.
That said, once you actually get to the ATO site it's a blessed relief compared with anything that exists on the other side of the Pacific. You can actually just do your taxes with a few mouse clicks there, if they are as simple as my Australian affairs are currently (basically two bank accounts). Thankfully Quicken and Intuit haven't managed to buy enough Australian politicians to keep things opaque, as they have in the US. I was once at a party in Sydney and met an ATO fellow who had been working in Jakarta helping Indonesia sort out their tax system. He just unselfconsciously told me that this was because Australia has the most competently-run tax system in the world so we are in a position to help other countries. My first reaction, of course, was to snort in hilarity at this statement - but after thinking about it for a few seconds realised he might not have been far off the mark.
I spent 30+ years working in or adjacent to the Canberra Halls of Doom. In relation to IT projects, words such as 'intuitive', 'user-friendly' and 'simple', when invoked at all, mean different things there. Abandon all hope, ye who enter.
Your Experience does suggest that Series 4 Episode 4 of the Australian TV series Utopia 'Mission Creeps' about the National Digital ID scheme was a documentry.
Yes. Yes they do. They know based on different parameters for business size across industries, so number of employees, GST inputs claimed, PAYG owed, and on and on.
About 20 years ago a whole bunch of judges and barristers were found to have never paid tax; they'd simply never registered into the system. 30-40 years in some cases. The system got them.
The mark of a skilled writer is when the reader can imagine themselves in the shoes of the protagonist - even better when writer and protagonist are the same person. I file Australian tax returns for myself and my Indonesian wife (because I love her and don't think she deserves this bullshit), neither of us currently Australian resident. Getting past the MyGov gatekeeper is a nightmare. Just one of the many delights - when you log in it caches your identity somewhere, so it you try to log in to someone else's account it gets the two mixed up and has a massive dummy-spit. So I have to use a different browser to do my wife's taxes.
That said, once you actually get to the ATO site it's a blessed relief compared with anything that exists on the other side of the Pacific. You can actually just do your taxes with a few mouse clicks there, if they are as simple as my Australian affairs are currently (basically two bank accounts). Thankfully Quicken and Intuit haven't managed to buy enough Australian politicians to keep things opaque, as they have in the US. I was once at a party in Sydney and met an ATO fellow who had been working in Jakarta helping Indonesia sort out their tax system. He just unselfconsciously told me that this was because Australia has the most competently-run tax system in the world so we are in a position to help other countries. My first reaction, of course, was to snort in hilarity at this statement - but after thinking about it for a few seconds realised he might not have been far off the mark.
I spent 30+ years working in or adjacent to the Canberra Halls of Doom. In relation to IT projects, words such as 'intuitive', 'user-friendly' and 'simple', when invoked at all, mean different things there. Abandon all hope, ye who enter.
Your Experience does suggest that Series 4 Episode 4 of the Australian TV series Utopia 'Mission Creeps' about the National Digital ID scheme was a documentry.
i had a friend who worked on marketing for health stuff during covid for the Gov. He said he cries when he watches utopia because it brings out PTSD
I shouldn't laugh at that, but I did.
Just that one??
Bummer. I’ve recently set up a business and have been amazed at how seamless it has been.
It’s a bit like Hotel California - easy to check in…
Yep, same here. I'll stick to paper.
What happens if you just don’t fork out? I’m sure the gubbermunt will let you know exactly how much you owe, and then some.
Yes. Yes they do. They know based on different parameters for business size across industries, so number of employees, GST inputs claimed, PAYG owed, and on and on.
About 20 years ago a whole bunch of judges and barristers were found to have never paid tax; they'd simply never registered into the system. 30-40 years in some cases. The system got them.
Mygov....*shudder*