Am I eligible?

Manuel is a single parent. He was let go from his job within the last 12 months and is receiving JobSeeker payments. He did not finish his high school diploma.

Manuel is renting in the outer suburbs of Darwin. With the increases to the cost of living, he is struggling to cover food and rent.

Previously, he used a local tax agent to help him with his tax returns. Now he can’t afford to pay for a tax agent.

He would like to lodge outstanding tax returns for the last 2 years as these may include a refund from the ATO. He is unsure how to do this on his own and needs advice on how to manage his tax.

Manuel can get help from the National Tax Clinic program because he:

• is experiencing financial hardship (he lost his job)
• can’t afford to pay for professional tax support.

Jasmina is an international student from Spain. She speaks and understands English well.

Jasmina’s parents are supporting her financially because the degree she is studying is very challenging and time-intensive.

She has never engaged with the Australian tax system before.

Jasmina is very confident online. She starts creating online content which earns her an income.

Jasmina needs to report income to the ATO, but she doesn’t know where to start.

Jasmina can’t get help from the National Tax Clinic program because she:

• has financial support
• is digitally confident
• can find the information she needs on the ATO website to help her understand her tax obligations.

Jakob owns his own plumbing business and has always managed to pay his tax bills on time.

This year, his house is badly damaged by flooding, and he is forced to move out.

He uses most of his savings to fix his house. This means he’s having difficulty paying his tax bills on time. This creates added anxiety and stress for Jakob.

Jakob receives a letter from the ATO about overdue payments. Jakob lives 400 kilometres from the nearest town where he could access professional tax support.

Jakob can get support from the National Tax Clinic program because he is experiencing:

• financial hardship
• serious personal impacts, including mental health challenges
• difficulty accessing professional tax support because of his remote location.

Sandipa is a freelancer. Her work is inconsistent and means that her income varies each year depending on the work she gets. She usually earns on average $80,000 a year.

Sandipa is lucky to already own her own home in the metropolitan region of Perth.

This year, Sandipa has put a lot of money into promoting her business and expenses, like a car for her business.

Sandipa fails to put money aside for pay as you go instalments (PAYGI) and GST obligations.

Sandipa uses an accountant for her income tax but doesn’t use an accountant for business activity statements (BAS). She receives a notice from the ATO for non-lodgment of BAS.

Sandipa can’t get support from the National Tax Clinic program because she:

• can seek professional tax support from her accountant
• does not live remotely
• can reduce spending on other business expenses to ensure she meets her tax obligations
• has good tax literacy.