My 100th Post

I have waited serveral days to write this post, so that I can find a good topic and celebrate this 100th post. Ok, Here is what I found: “Why you are stilling waiting for Kevin Rudd Money”

 

Now the ATO has been saying since day one that the payments will take a while to get through to everyone - they’re telling people to not even bother calling to ask until mid-May because they’ve got more than 7 million people to pay. 

So here’s the answer: it’s entirely random… based on your postcode.  This is from the genuinely helpful ATO tax bonus FAQ page:

All cheque and EFT payments will be made using a post code selection process that is randomly generated, ensuring all post codes are evenly distributed to each state and territory each night (using the Australia Post predetermined percentage spread). For this reason and because of security concerns, we are not planning to publish a distribution schedule.

So there you go - it’s totally random who gets it and when.  And it looks like each night the ATO supercomputer picks some numbers out of thin air and doles out some cash.  And in an effort to spread an equal number of payments to each post code each night, it could be that you get your payment but your spouse/partner/flatmate/pet misses out.

Things to do when you arrived and wanted to settle down in Australia

Things to do First

Below is a list of 7 important things that you should do as soon as possible after arriving in Australia.
1. Apply for a Tax File Number (TFN)

Do this first. To receive an income in Australia, you need a Tax File Number (TFN).
2. Register with Medicare

The Australian Government provides help with basic medical expenses through a scheme called Medicare.
3. Open a bank account

In Australia, most income including salary or wages and government benefits are paid directly into a bank account.
4. Register with Centrelink

Centrelink is a government agency which delivers a range of services to the community.
5. Register for English Classes

Communicating in English is very important and the key to your successful settlement.
6. Enrol Your Children in School

Under Australian law, children must attend school until they are 15 years old.
7. Apply for a Driver's Licence

Information on gaining a driver's licence.
Beginning a life in Australia Booklets

The Beginning a Life in Australia booklets welcome newly-arrived migrants and humanitarian entrants to Australia. They provide useful national, state/territory and local settlement information for migrants, humanitarian entrants, their sponsors and service providers. This information is available to download in English and 37 community languages for each state and territory.