A young woman who received a smaller tax refund than she expected has warned Australians to adjust their expectations of a big tax refund this tax season.
Nat Zelez, 24, promptly filed her taxes on July 1, eagerly awaiting a refund of more than $5,000, which she planned to use for a trip to Southeast Asia.
However, after filing her taxes, she only received $3,000.
“So I got my taxes and I’m not happy. I filed it on July 1st and I was so excited, oh my god, because it said I was getting $5,300 back, but I got it this morning and I got $3,000,” she said in a video posted to TikTok.
Ms Zelez, who works in hospitality and marketing, indicated she received a payout at some point during the financial year, which may have impacted her overall returns.
She told her followers that $3,000 was still a fair amount, but she was still disappointed.
“I still feel like I lost $2,300, that’s what it feels like. I know it’s not me, but what’s going on?” Ms. Zelez said.
“Don’t do it on July 1st, because you’ll only get hurt.”
Australian Nat Zelez (pictured), 24, said she felt “lied to” by the tax office after receiving a $3,000 tax refund when she was expected to receive $5,300.
Social media users had little sympathy for Ms Zelez’s situation, with many pointing out that the original calculation of the refund was uncertain.
“It’s always an estimate, never expect to get the full return,” someone said.
‘You do know that you can’t expect money back every time, right? You only get money back if you paid too much tax,’ added a second.
Another said Ms Zelez’s return differed significantly from the estimate because the ATO likely did not have all the information it needed on 1 July as her employer may not have completed the return.
A recent Finder survey found that the average Australian expects a refund of $1,288. During the cost of living crisis, many expected such a refund.
“Australians are fed up with barely getting by and are looking to their tax refunds for some financial relief,” said Sarah Megginson, financial expert at Finder.
‘Many people are struggling with debt and a significant proportion of people plan to alleviate that burden through a tax injection.’
Ms Megginson reminded Australians that while they can file their tax returns early, their employers have until July 14 to pass their details on to the tax office.
“If you try to file your tax return before then you could run into problems as your details will not yet be finalised with the ATO,” she said.
“If you are certain that you will receive a tax refund, it is wise to file as soon as possible so that you can receive the money.”
Ms Zelez urged Australians who, like her, filed on July 1 before their employers had finalised their tax details to lower their expectations about their tax returns.