Free expert tax advice for students and low-income earners

A Charles Darwin University (CDU) Tax Clinic is helping students and other low-income earners push back against the rising cost of living with free tax claim assistance.

CDU has launched its free tax clinic to assist unrepresented taxpayers to complete their returns and identify tax deductions.

CDU accounting lecturer and clinic organiser Raul David said that it can sometimes be difficult for people to do their returns, let alone do their homework on deductions.

“This should be very popular with low-income students who need help because they are working and studying, so don’t have time to think about tax,” Mr David said.

"The higher cost of living is really forcing low-income earners to look at ways of saving time and money, so this tax clinic is a breath of fresh air."

According to Mr David, selected CDU undergraduate and postgraduate accounting students are going to assist taxpayers under the supervision of academic staff and experienced practitioners.

“The CDU tax clinic is a great opportunity for accounting students to put theory into practice,” he said.

People with an annual income of less than $60,000 and have no tax representation are eligible to be clients of the free clinic.

The applications are reviewed by an experienced Tax Clinic member and a student volunteer, and successful applicants will be notified.

There will be free tax clinics in Alice Springs, Katherine and Darwin.

One is at CDU’s Waterfront Campus IN Darwin, which opens from 10 July to 30 October.

A clinic will be open at the Katherine Central Shopping Complex on July 31 to August 1.

The Alice Springs clinic will be at the Yeperenye Shopping Centre on August 14 and 15.

Anyone who wants to attend the clinic should register here