Smartphone apps for tax time

The end of the financial year is upon us, which means it's the dreaded Season of Taxes. This collection of smartphone apps will help you get your statements in order and hopefully get some cash back in your pocket.

Price: AU$7.99
Platform: iOS

Developed by a chartered accountant, my Tax allows you to calculate your annual personal tax for 2009, 2010 and 2011; PAYG; GST and FBT; and salary sacrificing. It also includes a loan calculator, a tax rates summary, a pay calculator, a BAS calculator and a CGT calculator. You can then generate PDF reports, which you can print directly from your device.

Price: Free
Platform: Android

Another tax calculator, Aussie Tax Calculator doesn't have quite as many features as My Tax, but it is also free. You will be able to calculate your annual tax and PAYG on up to four incomes.

Price: AU$4.99
Platform: iOS

This app is pretty basic, really: it's a list of all the tax rates and thresholds for the 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 financial years, for those who want to sit and work out their own calculations. It includes rates, offsets, CGT, FBT and super information as well.

Price: AU$20.00
Platform: Android

Designed for individuals and small business owners, this app allows you to calculate your tax based on income and expenses, with automatically generated BAS and PAYG. You can also customise tax brackets, contributions, GST and financial period, and email generated statements.

Price: AU$1.19
Platform: iOS

This app is really simple, and easy to use. It estimates your tax return, based on income, Medicare, health insurance and HELP repayments. If you have anything more complicated than that in your life, you'll need a more complex app, but this does what it does well enough for the price.

Price: Free
Platform: Android

Another app that takes simplicity to heart, Australian Income Tax Calculator does exactly that. It has a nifty little calculator that calculates tax based on income, and a table that tells you exactly what you're being taxed.

Price: Free
Platform: iOS

Yet another income tax calculator, CCH's app allows you to calculate your tax based on income, marital and residential status, health insurance, and HECS or HELP.

Price: AU$2.60
Platform: Android

Probably more for ongoing use, Expense & Tac Manager allows you to keep track of unlimited income items and expenses, with instant trial tax calculations based on up-to-date tax rates, set and calculate GST, record tax payments, email calculations and statements and more.

Price: Free
Platform: BlackBerry

Tax Mate, which seems to be the only tax calculator available for BlackBerry, is similar to previous tax calculators discussed, with income tax rates based off those on the ATO's website. Calculations include a 1.5 per cent Medicare Levy, but no other Medicare rates, and does not take into account HECs/HELP or low income offset. It does provide a good starting point, though.

Price: AU$3.99
Platform: iOS

If you want to start getting organised for the year ahead, from here on, these apps will help you on a more consistent basis.

Tax Receipt Log is one of those simple concepts that will prove invaluable. You simply use your iPhone's camera to take a photo of your receipts, which you can then store and catalogue for taxation purposes. No more shoeboxes!

Price: Free
Platform: iOS

If you're running a service business, Service M8 is designed to help you keep track of your jobs, from the quote process right through to payment tracking. You can attach notes and photos, view other team members on a map to view their progress, and keep an appointment schedule and time logs for billing.

Price: Free
Platform: Android

If you have a novated car lease, KM Tracker allows you to track your annual kilometres against FBT requirements.

Price: AU$1.19
Platform: iOS

Aussie Driving Log is just a simple and easy-to-use way of keeping track of your kilometres travelled for work, allowing for more accurate reporting on your claim sheets.

Price: AU$3.73
Platform: Android

This app is exactly what it says on the box. Track your work hours, using Android Time Card to punch in and punch out, with the option to have multiple timers at the same time (useful for employers). A simple in-app automatic calculator tells you exactly how much you have earned in the time worked, too.

Price: AU$4.45
Platform: BlackBerry

If you want an easy and effective way to keep track of your expenses on your BlackBerry, Expense Recorder Ultra will keep a log of all your personal and business expenses, and even track them against your income, a category of your choice, or time. You can view reports either as text or a graph and even set reminders for recurring expenses.