The ATO’s tax bonus eligibility calculator informs me that I’m not, after all, eligible to receive the $900 tax bonus. I was above the tax-free threshold in 2007-08, but my tax was erased by offsets. It’s not clear whether I’m eligible to receive the $950 “training and learning” bonus either. I’m unknown to Centrelink and I’m not receiving a scholarship, but the Council for Australian Postgraduate Associations is apparently “confident that administrative measures included in the package will mean that no other students are left out.”
Jolly good then. I have no idea what these “administrative measures” are, but I’m sure I’ll find out eventually, for better or worse.
On a philosophical note, it’s tough to decide whether I should be upset (hypothetically) about not being stimulated. We would rightfully complain if the needy were to miss out on welfare. In general, it’s natural to complain about not being afforded the same benefits as those around us. However, this isn’t really about wealth redistribution – it’s just a mechanism to get money circulating again – a once-off event. It’s also not as if I’m going to be any worse off, whatever the outcome. However, that [intlink id=”300″ type=”post”]75kg of chocolate[/intlink] may have to wait.
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One response to “Unstimulated”
The latest I have heard is that the government is still finalising the details of the Training and Learning Bonus – and that postgraduate students should be contacted before the end of semester 1 and invited to claim the bonus. However, this information also came with the disclaimer that noone is entirely sure who is going to be eligible to claim the bonus.
And feel free to complain if you miss out on the bonus. I’m due to finish my PhD in September, and so am likely to be looking for a job or a research position sometime in the near future – both options having been made more difficult as a result of the economic downturn. If I get this $950, at least I got something out of the world’s financial woes.