Members of the Queensland Public Service have been offered the chance to change their fortnightly taxation payments out of their salaries for the coming financial year.
Queensland Shared Services has raised the issue, pointing out that some employees will receive 27 fortnightly payments in the coming year, instead of the more usual 26.
“Therefore, you may wish to increase or decrease (if you have previously increased) your fortnightly tax payments to account for the change,” Shared Services said in a statement.
“Income tax for each pay is calculated on 26 fortnightly pays during a financial year. When a financial year has 27 pays, you can end up owing the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) money when submitting an end-of-financial-year tax return.”
It said that alternatively, members who had received 27 fortnightly pays and increased their tax payments might be paying too much tax and might wish to cancel this increase.
In 2021-22, the following Queensland Government employees will receive 27 fortnightly pays: Queensland Ambulance Service operational employees; and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services operational employees.
Shared Services said last financial year, Queensland Government employees in other Agencies received 27 fortnightly pays and were notified of the possible shortfall, and how to increase their fortnightly tax payments to avoid this.
These employees will receive 26 pays in 2021-22 and may choose to cancel the increase in payments if they requested this change in 2020-21.
