I did our tax on the weekend. Funny that I do this stuff every week for work, but our own tax I can't bear to look at. Watching Proactiv info-mercials would be a thousand times more exciting.
I think the reason is probably because both DF and I have a habit of throwing our reciepts in the general direction of our office, not actually putting them in the designated place (which is a basket on my desk). So 'doing our tax' was actually comprised of these separate tasks:
- finding all of our work-related deductible reciepts
- sorting them in piles of his and hers
- adding up my log book
- finding out my engine capacity, because I've forgotten what it is from last year
- finding our group certificates
- finding a previous notice of assessment for the sequence number (which allows you to do your tax online)
- finding out how much interest we had earnt on all our accounts.
- filling in the e-tax program and clicking 'send'.
Looking at these tasks, you would think the average person would take an hour, maybe two. Well, somehow I found it extremely neccesary to wash, hang out and fold six loads of laundry, make a cup of tea, play with the dogs several times, make a sandwich, watch an episode of Robot Chicken, bake a batch of cookies, call a friend about what to wear to dinner that night, call DF to see if he was coming to dinner, call another friend to tell her she needed to adjust the seat booking because DF wasn't coming, make a coffee and rearrange my desk. So a job that was meant to take an hour actually took about five. 
All worked out in the end though, we are getting around $3000.00 back!
Hmmm, I am thinking that is a good amount to use as a starter for our 'fence fund'. We are thinking of fencing the entire property, instead of just our flat yard bit. If we did the whole property, the dogs would have TONNES of space to run around in and explore...
Tax Refund!
August 2nd, 2010 at 07:04 am
August 2nd, 2010 at 09:23 am 1280741012
Don’t forget to get a few quotes on getting that fence done! Best of luck with it!
August 2nd, 2010 at 12:43 pm 1280753024
Jerry
August 2nd, 2010 at 01:30 pm 1280755818
August 2nd, 2010 at 11:32 pm 1280791972
August 2nd, 2010 at 11:46 pm 1280792775
Jerry - engine capacity is only important to me because I use my car for work (errands, dropping off equipment at buiding sites, picking up mail, getting office supplies and banking). There are four methods you can use to claim on car expenses, and I use the method of kilometres travelled, whereby the tax offers allows a certain amount per k's and the amount differs depending on your engine capacity. A normal working person wouldn't need to do any of this, and I believe that only the number of cylinders and modifications to my car affect my insurance.
August 3rd, 2010 at 01:50 am 1280800249
August 3rd, 2010 at 04:47 am 1280810831
August 5th, 2010 at 12:20 am 1280967655