Australian tax return - title (miss, ms etc.)

[Lutin]

I have to put in my tax return, and it's asking for my title, but I just cannot bring myself to put down Miss, Ms etc, but I'm not a Mr yet, either.

Is it illegal in Australia to just not put anything?

[alexkidd]

hey,
I dont know if its legal or not
But I just did my tax return and everything I have is in male (expect my birth certificate). I did my tax return under male (as all my group certificates and stuff say Mr now), but now am having alot of trouble with the Aust Government convincing them that yes, I was Miss Blah Blah, female but am now Mr Alex ****, Male. Its frustrating because I am expecting a few grand back and its been held up for over two weeks already!

Where abouts in Aust are you? Im on the GC..

[Aussie Jay]

I am having the same prob Will!! I know exactly how you feel... For the record too Alex I'm in Melb, but I move a lot between GC and here - glad things are moving along for you, although held up currently
Cheers
Jay

[Teknoir]

I've had dealings with them, but not regarding tax.

As far as anything regarding the government and money - they like your title to match the "sex" on your birth certificate (that's what a beaurocrat told me).

IF you leave your forms blank (as I STILL did... I'm a very stubborn man), someone along the way (Data entry? Previous records? A script?) will automatically fill out a title that's in line with your birth cert sex marker (that happened to me - defaults to "Miss").

YMMV, it was a different department - but it's all still federal beaurocracy on the same set of systems and databases.

It's not going to get you arrested, anyway.

Chalk up another AU guy here. I'm a New South Welshman  . There's more of us around here than I thought.

[Cindy]

Hi other Aussies

I was told that the national id (tax) database (which doesn't exist) matches all of your personal details to make a 100 point match. Leaving out your registered sex throws the 100 points off. Then it stalls and puts you on an enquiry queue. Have no idea if this is true, just what I was told.

And hi guys, didn't know I had Bros here
Luv

Cindy

[Teknoir]

the national id (tax) database (which doesn't exist)

You mean like the Australia Card that never happened?

*cough* Photo Drivers Licence as a Compromise and Landfilled Australia card application forms *cough* .

Oooh.... I really have to get that nasty cough seen to .

[Lutin]

Thanks guys (and the lovely Cindy ). A hold-up in processing it wouldn't be good... But then again, even if someone else does insert the "Miss", at least it won't be me selling my manly (*cough*) soul.

(Hmm, I think your cough is contagious, Teknoir...).

And I'm in RAdelaide at the moment. Was in Brissy for a bit, but back to the city with balls (no, that joke never gets old ). I do like Adelaide, I'm really not so good with big cities (though admittedly they do have the benefit of more resources for non-cisgendered, non-heterosexual peepsies, which is hardly a bad thing).

[nickelass]

Until you have your inside bits removed (female reproductive organs) you cannot legally change your gender or use Mr as your title for things such as a tax return, or your super fund. My taxman fought like hell to have them change my title to Mr but they refused to do it, so I am Miss Nick Henry Stewart.  Just does not sound right!

I think we need to get a rally going or something, we shouldn't have to remove our inside bits to legally change our gender just to satisfy the politicians. As much as I want them gone, I think I'm going to keep them until they change the law. I'll just have to rip up every bit of mail with Miss on it until then. Hope nothing important comes my way...

[Jay]

I know its painful but you just have to put it.. Tax company is something you don't want to mess with!

Jay

[Teknoir]

Tax company is something you don't want to mess with!

True that.

But hey, when it comes to tax returns - at least they're paying to call you Miss / Ms

[Vancha]

One day you can kick them for it, but it's best to stay out of trouble for now.

[Cindy]

Always seems that the legal system comes down on money "crimes" harder than anything else.

A few years ago I did forget to add on about $200 of interest I had earned on a bank account. The Aussie tax people were really nice, wrote me a little letter, saying that they realised it was just an error and they would only fine me $400 and not take me to court.
Nice people, easy to get on with. V, I think your Avatar works for them
I hear the US IRS are also generous forgiving types as well.

Cindy

Cindy

[tekla]

I hear the US IRS are also generous forgiving types as well.

Oh yeah, hardly a day goes by when someone doesn't tell me about how much they love the IRS, and what a cool bunch of people work for them.  They are the rock stars of American Government.  I think their motto is "forgive and forget."

[Flameboy]

Until you have your inside bits removed (female reproductive organs) you cannot legally change your gender or use Mr as your title for things such as a tax return, or your super fund. My taxman fought like hell to have them change my title to Mr but they refused to do it, so I am Miss Nick Henry Stewart.  Just does not sound right!

That's completely ridiculous! In the UK, titles have no legal status at all, so you're perfectly entitled to use any title you want - except for titles such as Rev, Dr or Prof which infer some sort of qualification.