# Income tax return lodgement if unemployed?



## morgofborg (Apr 20, 2015)

My Australian partner and I had spent 2014 basically going back and forth between the USA and Australia on 3 months visitor visas and during the time I was in Australia I didnt not work as my visa had no work rights. Now Ive just received a letter from the accounting firm I had gone to see in 2013 as then I had been on a WHV and did work so I wanted to be sure I did not owe income tax (which I did not). 

Im wondering if this is just an automated letter or if it is required to file an income tax return if a person was unemployed for the entire year? I am now back in the States and have applied for a Perspective Marriage Visa and one of the questions is if I currently owe any money to the Australian government so I would hate for this to effect my visa. 

So basically does anyone know if I need to file an income tax return?


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## Mish (Jan 13, 2013)

You need to file a nil return paper. My husband got the automated letter too which was strange because he had not work in Australia.

This is the link to the form my husband filled in: 
https://www.ato.gov.au/uploadedFiles/Content/MEI/downloads/ind40321n25860614.pdf

We didn't want to risk getting charged with a failure to lodge penalty.


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