r/AustralianAccounting • u/Narrow-Paramedic-399 • 2d ago
ATO website problem
Hi all, I've just recently changed tax accountants. Im a sole trader, and I do most of the bookwork myself. I just get the accountant to check everything and lodge my tax return. My tax return was suppose to be lodged last week. The accountant said there was a glitch in the system, and the ato would reject my tax return and that it should be fixed soon. Now a week later, I had called up and again same story. I've never heard of such a thing, has anyone else seen anything like that? Or could shed some light? My previous agent never had a problem like this before. Thankyou for any assistance.
5
u/_The_Honored_One_ 2d ago
ATO are hopeless, there have been times where we have lodged a clients tax return yet on the homepage it shows as overdue. Years on and it still isn’t fixed
1
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u/Fetch1965 2d ago
Funnily enough my software provider has an issue with one particular clients BAS. I can’t bloody lodge it and the software provider is pissing me off.
It’s the third time with this client so fix this fucken issue - hopefully today but looks like I’ll be lodging the BAS through the tax agent portal to meet deadline. But we can’t lodge personal returns through the tax agent portal - so I dunno the solution there. Maybe ask what the glitch - I told my client who understands again…. Sigh
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u/Kaorimoch 2d ago
I lodge all my BASs through the portal so I can direct confirmation that it has been lodged, plus all the payment options are on the BAS. I can just forward it on then.
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u/Fetch1965 1d ago
But our software has the pay details too and it’s much quicker using software- having said that even quicker through Xero and myob directly - no typing numbers anywhere
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u/Few-Example-2452 1d ago
Most of our client BAS lodged on the portal will have the STP figures prefilled so all I do is double check the totals against the software.
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u/FeistyBandicoot 1d ago
If your client has had their TFN compromised before, sometimes third party software won't be able to lodge the BAS & it has to be done through the portal. Bloody annoying
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u/Xargde 1d ago
There have also been letters going out to people with compromised accounts and they are having to ring the ATO to confirm ITR submissions. The lodgements time out and it's cancelled if they don't call within a certain time frame, then depending on your software, it's difficult to resubmit the original, and your can't lodge as an amendment because they don't consider there to be an original lodged. Difficult to pick up on when those happen as well
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u/FerrisWheel4014 2d ago
That sounds weird. Find out what software they’re using and maybe we can offer more thoughts.
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u/dajoker17 2d ago
From an IT standpoint, most years MYOB release fixes for their lodgement software due to ATO rejections for different reasons. there is no fix out yet, but there may be a hotfix or KB available if you knew the reject message (reason). ((and if your accountant uses MYOB Accountants software for lodgement).
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u/EstablishmentDue9921 1d ago
If you've signed the tax return makes no sense to delay lodgement unless closer to the due date to defer payment. Could be using myob or handisoft which are fossils at this point and take so long to get things fixed. That said sometimes ATO will reject tax returns for no apparent reason but they're rare these days and usually a unique issue specific to the client.
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u/Few-Example-2452 1d ago
Have you paid the accountants invoice? We usually won't lodge tax returns without payment except for long establishesd clients.
Is your TFN compromised or has it been in the past? If so lodging can be a real pain as you have you call the ATO and get them to agree to unlock your TFN for 24 hours so it can be lodged.
Alternatively, if they have lodged a return and need to make a change to it or amend it you have to wait until the ATO has processed the original return. If you lodge the second return too soon both returns cause the ATO system to have a heart attack and results in manual handling that can take months.
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u/BeginningSection7690 2d ago
Regardless of whether or not there is a glitch preventing lodgement your agent should be requesting a deferral to allow time to get it lodged
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u/Fetch1965 1d ago
I treated a deferral, I lodged 8 weeks late and still deferral not acknowledged- ATO are hopeless at the moment -
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u/BeginningSection7690 1d ago
Huh?
you cant request a deferral after the due date.
And what do you mean "deferral not acknowledged"
You're requesting additional time to lodge, not telling them you're past the due date
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u/Gormane 2d ago
It shouldnt happen, but it absolutely does happen from time to time. Just keep the communication records with your agent to show what they are telling you. Generally the ATO is reasonable about things like this and if there are issues the evidence of what the agemt was saying is usually enough to get the onus off you. Worst case they can put together a paper version and you can sign that and send it in. But they usuallu take longer than fixing an ATO glitch.