The ATO has taken upon itself to semi-privatise the tax return process without bothering to warn taxpayers. On its website, it states: "We offer two free, convenient and secure ways to lodge your own tax return online - myTax and e-tax."
2014 is the first year that the only way to lodge is online - the old paper forms are no longer available. Therefore, millions of Australian taxpayers are going to be deceived by this. You could almost call it an ATO scam.
I completed tax returns for myself and my elderly mother using e-tax. At no point in the process was I told there would be a fee. And worse, I recommended e-tax to a student from overseas who boards with me; he works twenty hours per week and cannot afford to lose money.
My mother's tax refund has now been processed, minus a fee of $95.40 taken by e-tax from a lousy $498 refund.
She's a pensioner, the nursing home takes virtually all of her income and I was relying on that refund to purchase new clothes and shoes for her.
Do not use e-tax.
