Any cards still consider ATO expenses eligible for points?

[1022]

I'm likely to have a fairly sizeable ATO bill this year, so it would be a good chance to earn a QFF or Velocity signup bonus in a single transaction ... if there were any cards that still allow it. I have looked at the usual suspects that I could churn but all seem to exclude Government-related expenses for point earn. The closest I came is that I saw Citi (NAB) cards have "Citi PayAll" which earns points, but T&Cs exclude PayAll transactions for the sign up bonus.

Are there any cards I might be missing that wouldn't exclude payments to the ATO for a signup bonus? I prefer a personal card, but I do have an ABN if that helps.

 

[Scr77]

I’m not aware of any personal cards that earn points direct with ATO. I think most people are using a third parties like rewardpay and Amex. I think there are business cards that earn points but they’re not much talked about, maybe because the earn rates are lower?

 

[dairyfloss]

I'm likely to have a fairly sizeable ATO bill this year, so it would be a good chance to earn a QFF or Velocity signup bonus in a single transaction ... if there were any cards that still allow it. I have looked at the usual suspects that I could churn but all seem to exclude Government-related expenses for point earn. The closest I came is that I saw Citi (NAB) cards have "Citi PayAll" which earns points, but T&Cs exclude PayAll transactions for the sign up bonus.

Are there any cards I might be missing that wouldn't exclude payments to the ATO for a signup bonus? I prefer a personal card, but I do have an ABN if that helps.

If it's an option, I see AmEx Platinum charge card at 275,000 MR points SUB for $5K spend in the first 3 months, and Eligible Transactions doesn't appear to exclude spend with government bodies, which covers ATO spend. 1 AmEx point per A$1 at govt bodies on the card.

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[Duffa]

Qantas NAB Business Visa
0.66 ppd (including payments to ATO)
ATO fee 0.8%
159,000 points will set you back $1,908
Or just over $1,000, if your top marginal tax rate is 47% and you can claim the ATO merchant fee as a deduction.

 

[andye]

If it's an option, I see AmEx Platinum charge card at 275,000 MR points SUB for $5K spend in the first 3 months, and Eligible Transactions doesn't appear to exclude spend with government bodies, which covers ATO spend. 1 AmEx point per A$1 at govt bodies on the card.

Cheers,
Matt.

Remember Amex point only worth 0.5 airline point (or 0.33 for SQ)

 

[Viridis]

Remember Amex point only worth 0.5 airline point (or 0.33 for SQ)

Pay via Sniip? Full points I believe

 

[Duffa]

Pay via Sniip? Full points I believe

Yes , for 1.99% + GST

 

[Viridis]

Yes , for 1.99% + GST

I paid 2 ATO charges this year - I believe it is 1.29% and don’t recall a GST charge

But you do get the full 2.25pts per dollar (personal charge card)

 

[Doctore1003]

Qantas NAB Business Visa
0.66 ppd (including payments to ATO)
ATO fee 0.8%
159,000 points will set you back $1,908
Or just over $1,000, if your top marginal tax rate is 47% and you can claim the ATO merchant fee as a deduction.

You’re throwing away money if you’re paying 0.8 %fee to the ATO. If you use bpay instead via NAB online banking, the fee is zero and you still earn 0.66 Qantas points per dollar.

 

[Duffa]

You’re throwing away money if you’re paying 0.8 %fee to the ATO. If you use bpay instead via NAB online banking, the fee is zero and you still earn 0.66 Qantas points per dollar.

Dang. I didn't read the T and C.
Always assumed that BPay didn't give points. All my other cards exclude BPay for points.
Thanks for the tip!

 

[Duffa]

I paid 2 ATO charges this year - I believe it is 1.29% and don’t recall a GST charge

But you do get the full 2.25pts per dollar (personal charge card)

They charge my ato payments at the business rate, 1.9 and add GST
My personal bills go through at 1.29.

 

[Viridis]

They charge my ato payments at the business rate, 1.9 and add GST
My personal bills go through at 1.29.

Personal tax liability or a business one?

 

[Scr77]

You’re throwing away money if you’re paying 0.8 %fee to the ATO. If you use bpay instead via NAB online banking, the fee is zero and you still earn 0.66 Qantas points per dollar.

Do you know if this is only for NAB business cards or all NAB personal cards too?

 

[CaptainCurtis]

Do you know if this is only for NAB business cards or all NAB personal cards too?

Only business cards, I believe they recently stopped allowing this on the personal cards.

 

[Duffa]

Personal tax liability or a business one?

All taxes, even personal are charged at 1.99 + GST
Their computer deems all ATO at the higher rate.

 

[Viridis]

Interesting. Thanks. I’ll be honest, I’ve never noticed

Paid the kids HECS and that didn’t appear to be charged at the higher rate and nor did there appear to be GST added, but maybe HECS is treated differently

But I’ve paid a couple of my own bills. If I’m honest I probably wouldn’t notice the small increase in card fee but I’d have thought I’d have noticed GST.

Having said that GST on the payment of a tax liability does seem a bit of a rort

Anyway, thanks for the info - I’ll bow to your superior knowledge. Leaves me in a bit of a bind for this year though

 

[Mogul]

Qantas NAB Business Visa
0.66 ppd (including payments to ATO)
ATO fee 0.8%
159,000 points will set you back $1,908
Or just over $1,000, if your top marginal tax rate is 47% and you can claim the ATO merchant fee as a deduction.

Fees are not deductable when paying personal tax obligations.

 

[Duffa]

But I’ve paid a couple of my own bills. If I’m honest I probably wouldn’t notice the small increase in card fee but I’d have thought I’d have noticed GST.

Now you've made me doubt myself....

So, I have just logged in to my account at SNIIP.

I can confirm, absolutely and irrefutably, that I paid 2.189%, which is 1.99% plus GST.

Nice place to be, if you can absorb an extra 10% without noticing......!

 

[Duffa]

Fees are not deductable when paying personal tax obligations.

Agreed, they are not!
But two things which are pertinent to me.

1. Mrs D and I, are self-employed, so we CAN claim the deduction

2. As @Doctore1003 pointed out (much to my embarrassment) there are ZERO fees on the NAB business card if you use BPay. So tax deductibility is irrelevant if there is no fee in the first place!! I can't believe I missed that......

 

[Viridis]

Now you've made me doubt myself....

So, I have just logged in to my account at SNIIP.

I can confirm, absolutely and irrefutably, that I paid 2.189%, which is 1.99% plus GST.

Nice place to be, if you can absorb an extra 10% without noticing......!

Okay. I’m an idiot . Completely misunderstood your original comment

I was thinking GST on the tax bill - 10% of that I would notice

10% of 1.99% ….. that is actually becoming marginal as to whether I’d notice . Not as cavalier as it sounds. Tax bills generally aren’t huge and I just factor in that I’m going to pay slightly more than the bill, without calculating the amount. I do I reasonableness & gross error check and if it looks about right, well, I push ‘Pay’.

Given that numerous retail places charge a fee (which is often higher than Sniip for Amex) it doesn’t seem outlandish for full Amex Pts at a Government website (unexpectedly paid 2% at BP yesterday!)

Apologies for the rabbit hole & runaround