The ATO has announced that people in certain postcodes in Victoria, Tasmania New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland will be granted an additional 2-month extension for Activity Statement lodgements and payments. If your business or residential address is in the affected postcodes you do not need to apply for this extension.
The ATO have also said they will assist in other ways including:
- helping you find your lost tax file number (TFN) by using methods to verify your identity such as your date of birth, address and bank account details
- re-issuing income tax returns, activity statements and notices of assessment
- helping you re-construct tax records lost or damaged in the bushfire
- prioritising any refunds you are owed
- setting up a payment plan tailored to your circumstances including an interest-free period
- remitting penalties or interest charged during the time you have been affected by the bushfires.
The ATO have stated they do not wish to put additional pressure on bushfire victims and will give time to help them recover. The ATO will continue to monitor the situation and will update the postcode list if there are further areas that need deferrals.
If you are outside the areas listed below, but have been affected by the bushfires and wish to request an extension, you can contact 1800 806 218. At the time of this article, the postcodes are listed below.
If you wish to check an updated list of postcodes, you can do so here https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Dealing-with-disasters/In-detail/Specific-disasters/Bushfires-2019-20/?page=2#Postcodes_identified_for_deferral
Victoria
Alpine: 3691, 3697, 3698, 3699, 3737, 3738, 3739, 3740, 3741, 3744, 3862, 3898
East Gippsland: 3699, 3701, 3707, 3851, 3862, 3864, 3865, 3875, 3878, 3880, 3882, 3885, 3886, 3887, 3888, 3889, 3890, 3891, 3892, 3893, 3895, 3896, 3898, 3900, 3902, 3903, 3904, 3909
Towong: 3691, 3695, 3700, 3701, 3704, 3705, 3707, 3708, 3709
Tasmania
Break O’Day: 7212, 7213, 7214, 7215, 7216, 7264
Central Highlands: 7030, 7140, 7304
Southern Midlands: 7017, 7026, 7027, 7030, 7119, 7120, 7140, 7172, 7190
New South Wales
Armidale regional: 2350, 2351, 2359, 2360, 2365, 2369, 2370, 2440, 2453
Bega Valley: 2546, 2548, 2549, 2550, 2551, 2631, 2632
Bellingen: 2448, 2449, 2453, 2454, 2455
Blue Mountains: 2758, 2773, 2774, 2776, 2777, 2778, 2779, 2780, 2782, 2783, 2784, 2785, 2786, 2787
Central Coast: 2083, 2250, 2251, 2256, 2257, 2258, 2259, 2260, 2261, 2262, 2263, 2775
Cessnock: 2250, 2320, 2321, 2322, 2323, 2325, 2326, 2327, 2334, 2335
Clarence Valley: 2365, 2370, 2450, 2453, 2456, 2460, 2462, 2463, 2464, 2465, 2466, 2469, 2472
Coffs Harbour: 2450, 2452, 2454, 2456, 2460
Eurobodalla: 2536, 2537, 2545, 2546, 2550, 2622
Glen Innes Severn: 2365, 2370, 2371
Goulburn Mulwaree: 2579, 2580, 2581, 2622
Greater Hume Shire: 2640, 2642, 2644, 2646, 2650, 2652, 2658, 2659, 2660
Hawkesbury: 2330, 2753, 2754, 2755, 2756, 2757, 2758, 2765, 2775
Inverell: 2360, 2361, 2365, 2369, 2370, 2371, 2403, 2410, 4385
Kempsey: 2431, 2440, 2441
Kyogle: 2469, 2470, 2474, 2475, 2476, 2480
Lismore: 2470, 2471, 2472, 2477, 2480
Lithgow: 2785, 2786, 2787, 2790, 2795, 2845, 2846, 2847, 2848, 2849, 2850
Mid-coast: 2312, 2324, 2337, 2415, 2422, 2423, 2424, 2425, 2426, 2427, 2428, 2429, 2430, 2443
Mid-Western: 2795, 2844, 2848, 2849, 2850, 2852
Nambucca: 2441, 2447, 2448, 2449, 2454
Port Macquarie-Hastings: 2429, 2439, 2440, 2441, 2443, 2444, 2445, 2446
Queanbeyan-Palerang regional: 2580, 2581, 2619, 2620, 2621, 2622, 2623
Richmond Valley: 2469, 2470, 2471, 2472, 2473, 2480
Shoalhaven: 2534, 2535, 2536, 2538, 2539, 2540, 2541, 2577, 2622
Singleton: 2320, 2325, 2330, 2331, 2333, 2335
Snowy Monaro Regional: 2546, 2551, 2620, 2621, 2622, 2625, 2626, 2627, 2628, 2629, 2630, 2631, 2632, 2633
Snowy Valleys: 2611, 2627, 2629, 2640, 2642, 2649, 2652, 2653, 2720, 2722, 2729, 2730, 3707
Tenterfield: 2371, 2372, 2469, 2475, 2476, 4375, 4377, 4380, 4383
Upper Lachlan Shire: 2579, 2580, 2581, 2582, 2583, 2787
Uralla: 2350, 2354, 2358, 2359, 2365
Walcha: 2354
Wingecarribee: 2571, 2574, 2575, 2576, 2577, 2578, 2579, 2580
Wollondilly: 2508, 2560, 2568, 2569, 2570, 2571, 2572, 2573, 2574, 2745, 2752, 2787
Queensland
Livingstone: 4700, 4701, 4702, 4703, 4704, 4705, 4706, 4710, 4711, 4741
Noosa: 4562, 4563, 4565, 4566, 4567, 4568, 4569, 4571, 4573
Somerset: 4306, 4311, 4312, 4313, 4314, 4342, 4346, 4514, 4515
Toowoomba: 4314, 4350, 4352, 4353, 4354, 4355, 4356, 4357, 4358, 4359, 4360, 4361, 4363, 4364, 4365, 4400, 4401, 4402, 4403, 4404, 4405, 4407, 4614
South Australia
Adelaide Hills: 5052, 5072, 5073, 5076, 5114, 5125, 5131, 5132, 5133, 5134, 5136, 5137, 5138, 5139, 5140, 5141, 5142, 5144, 5151, 5152, 5153, 5154, 5155, 5156, 5157, 5231, 5232, 5233, 5234, 5235, 5240, 5241, 5242, 5243, 5244, 5245, 5252, 5351
City of Playford: 5110, 5112, 5113, 5114, 5115, 5116, 5117, 5118, 5120, 5121
Kangaroo Island: 5220, 5221, 5222, 5223
Kingston: 5264, 5271, 5273, 5275
Lower Eyre Peninsula: 5606, 5607, 5630, 5631, 5632
Mount Barker: 5153, 5155, 5157, 5201, 5243, 5244, 5245, 5250, 5251, 5252, 5254
Yorke Peninsula: 5552, 5558, 5570, 5571, 5572, 5573, 5575, 5576, 5577, 5580, 5581, 5582, 5583
Article Written by Paul Wineberg
Paul is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, a Certified Management Accountant
Paul is a Director of South East Accounting.
