If you’re an employee in Australia, your employer will have generated a group certificate, also known as a payment summary, at the end of the financial year.
A group certificate is a document that summarises the amount of income you’ve earned and the amount of tax that has been withheld from your pay throughout the year. It’s important to have a group certificate to complete your tax return and claim any deductions or credits you may be eligible for.
So, how do you get your group certificate? The process is simple and easy to follow.
Create a free One Click Life account to access your Group Certificate
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Wait for your employer to provide your group certificate
At the end of the financial year, usually by the 14th of July of each year, your employer is legally required to submit your group certificate to the ATO and can also provide you with a group certificate. Employers can give the group cert to you in person, email it to you, or send it to you in the mail. You can check with your employer on whether they intend to provide the group certificate to you, or just direct to the ATO. You will need to make sure your employer has your correct contact information to ensure you receive it on time.
Ask your employer for your group certificate
If you don’t receive your group certificate by the end of July, you can contact your employer and ask them for it. They may have forgotten to send it or there may have been an issue with your mailing address. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your employer and enquire about the status of your group certificate.
Check myGov
If you have a myGov account, you may be able to find your group certificate there. Log in to your account and look for the section labelled “Tax” or “Payment Summary”. Some employers will only upload the group certificates to the ATO vis single touch payroll. This means it will immediately be accessible on myGov.
Online Tax product
Creating an account with an online tax product provider like One Click Life will allow immediate access to your group certificate. It will appear directly in the online tax return on the year you wish to lodge. 99% of employers are now connected directly to the ATO through single touch payroll. This means your payment summary (group certificate) is being built on during the year week, fortnight or month by month. When you log in to your tax return via an online tax service, you will have access to your payment summary immediately. This will allow you get your tax refund quicker!
Why do we need a group certificate?
It’s important to note that group certificates are important documents for tax purposes, and it’s essential to have one to complete your tax return. Don’t wait until the last minute to follow up on your group certificate, if you haven’t received it, or can’t see it in your online tax return by the end of July, take action and contact your employer to get your group certificate as soon as possible.
In summary, getting your group certificate is a simple process. You can expect to receive it from your employer by July 14th of each year, if you don’t receive it, you can grab it online from an online tax agent contact your employer or check myGov or contact the ATO for assistance. It is important to keep a copy of your group certificate for your records and to use it to complete your tax return.
What is a group certificate called now?
A Group Certificate is now called a Payment Summary. A Payment Summary is a summary of your earnings and any tax your employer has withheld from you.
Importantly, you receive one Payment Summary per employer generally (unless you have a break in your employment from the same employer). So if you have two jobs, you would expect to receive two Payment Summaries (Group Certs).
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