With a new school year just around the corner, today I call on parents to make sure they keep their receipts to make the most of the Rudd Government's $4.4 billion Education Tax Refund.
For millions of Australian families, preparing for the new school year can involve an extra financial strain just after the Christmas holiday period as they face hefty costs like laptops, internet connections and school textbooks.
The Education Tax Refund will provide some much-needed relief to help families meet these costs, with refunds of up to:
- $375 per primary school student; and
- $750 per secondary school student.
All families with school children who receive Family Tax Benefit Part A will be eligible for the Education Tax Refund, which will be paid to families from 1 July this year.
Provided parents keep their receipts, the Education Tax Refund will apply to some of the most common back-to-school items, including:
- laptops;
- home computers and associated costs;
- home internet connections;
- printers;
- education software;
- trade tools for use at school;
- school text books; and
- stationery.
Parents are doing one of the most vital jobs in the country bringing up the next generation of Australians and the Rudd Government is proud to lend a helping hand.
We understand that the back-to-school period can be an expensive time and that every dollar counts, particularly as the global financial crisis continues to hit our economy.
The Education Tax Refund is a key part of the Rudd Government's Education Revolution to give Australian kids the best possible start in life and build the best educated and trained workforce in the world.