A free Meadowbrook tax clinic is tackling a waitlist of people needing help with years of overdue returns, unexpected tax bills and misunderstood obligations, particularly linked to gig and contract work.
Griffith Tax Clinic director Anna Webb said the Logan campus service was still accepting new clients and prioritising urgent cases, including people referred by the Australian Taxation Office or other organisations.
“A lot of our clients come to us feeling very overwhelmed,” Ms Webb said.
“Tax is very complicated. It’s just not typically written in a very user-friendly manner.”
Ms Webb said many clients arrived with several years of outstanding returns, while Uber drivers and cleaners were among the common groups seeking assistance.
Some contractors incorrectly believed the company engaging them had already handled their tax, while Uber drivers were sometimes unaware they had to register for Goods and Services Tax regardless of whether they had reached the usual $75,000 turnover threshold.
The clinic commonly assists people experiencing financial hardship, including clients receiving Centrelink payments or participating in the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
In an anonymised case provided by the clinic, a single mother living in crisis accommodation approached the clinic after receiving an Australian Tax Office warning letter.
She believed the letter meant she could be imprisoned and separated from her young child, but the clinic’s review found she was instead entitled to a refund.
Ms Webb said tax was often pushed aside when people were trying to pay for food and other essentials, allowing missed returns and debts to accumulate.
The clinic also sees retirees supplementing the age pension through Uber or other gig work, who may unexpectedly cross taxable-income thresholds and receive a bill.
Eligible individuals, sole traders and small businesses in Logan, unable to afford professional advice, can apply for free assistance through the Griffith Tax Clinic website.
“We actually already have a waitlist, but we do prioritise any urgent cases,” Ms Webb said.
The clinic is run by students under the supervision of experienced tax practitioners.
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