welcome to r j s & associates
A South Australian woman has been sentenced to 4 months imprisonment after being convicted of falsely claiming almost $10,000 in income tax deductions.
Ms Jessica Medcalf lodged 22 original and amended income tax returns for the years from 2015 to 2018. Each tax return contained overstated work-related expenses and understated her income.
While being audited and subsequently investigated, Ms Medcalf continued to lodge original and amended tax returns containing the same false claims.
On one occasion, Ms Medcalf tried to claim $3,500 of withheld tax after she withdrew $10,000 from her super account. She claimed to have only received$6,500 and even provided a letter from her super fund as evidence. But after fact checking the document with her fund, we found that Ms Medcalf had doctored the figures and had actually been paid $7,857. Thanks to our officer’s early interventions, she did not receive the additional $1,357 that she tried to falsely claim.
Ms Medcalf was released from imprisonment immediately on the condition that she enter an 18-month good behaviour bond. She was ordered to repay$1,599.45 for the tax refunds she unlawfully obtained.
Receiving a criminal conviction is serious. It’s not something you can just sweep under the carpet. It can significantly impact your reputation, career and overseas travel. You may need to disclose your criminal record when you apply for a job, work as a volunteer, or seek an overseas visa.
This article is published by R J Sanderson and Associates Pty Ltd ABN 71 060 299 783. This article contains general information only and is not intended to represent specific personal advice (Accounting, taxation, financial or credit). No individual personal circumstances have been taken into consideration for the preparation of this material. It is recommended that you obtain your own personal professional advice before making any financial or business decision.