Highlights
- 5,267 individuals and small businesses assisted
- 6,605 lodgments completed
- 771 taxpayers provided tax advice including support in managing objections
- 164 community education activities
- 151 taxpayers provided support in managing tax debts
- 96 victims of financial and domestic abuse supported
- 577 taxpayers in remote and rural communities supported
- 269 student participants in the National Tax Clinic program
Our clients in 2023
Many tax clinic clients are experiencing multiple issues simultaneously, ranging from financial hardship to complex challenges experienced by victims of crime, including fraud and financial abuse. In 2023 the most common reasons for seeking support from a tax clinic related to income, remoteness and financial distress.
Circumstances of tax clinic clients in 2023 included:
- low income
- rural and remote
- financial distress
- incarcerated
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
- homelessness
- culturally and linguistically diverse
- victims of fraud
- physical disability
- micro business
- mental health challenges
- self-represented litigants
- natural disasters
- domestic and financial abuse.
Activities and outcomes for 2023
Number of clients assisted
Of the total 5,267 clients we assisted, there were:
- 4,390 individuals
- 688 small businesses
- 189 other.
How clients heard about tax clinics
Of the total 3,513 clients surveyed:
- 1895 found out about the tax clinics through tax clinic media and advertising
- 295 were referrals from community groups / non-government organisations
- 106 were referrals from financial counsellors
- 68 were walk-ins
- 37 were from government departments (i.e. Department of Human Services)
- 22 were referrals from other participating tax clinics
- 932 were unspecified.
Number of lodgments by lodgment type
Of the total 6,605 lodgments the tax clinics assisted with:
- 4,454 were income tax returns for prior years
- 1,638 were income tax returns for the current year
- 302 were activity statements for prior lodgment periods
- 211 were activity statements for the current lodgment period.
Assistance provided by topic
Of the total 3,780 instances of assistance provided:
- 2,475 were about lodgment
- 754 were about advice
- 151 were about debt
- 113 were about registrations
- 20 were about objections
- 267 were about other topics.