H&R Block director of tax communications reveals the three things you should do before July 1 to boost your tax refund

A leading tax expert has revealed the three things Australians need to do before July 1 if they want to boost the amount of money they get back on their tax return this year.

In good news for many taxpayers, H&R Block director of tax communications Mark Chapman said the first thing you do by Sunday is hit the local mall for some last-minute shopping.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Tax agents say we need to do 3 things by Sunday to maximize this year’s refund.

Get the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today

With tax cuts coming up that will reduce the amount you get back as deductible expenses next financial year, taxpayers should buy now if they want to save more.

Taxpayers would normally get 32.5 cents on the dollar back this year, but that will drop to 30 cents on the dollar next year.

“Prepay, for example, a membership, subscription or insurance policy,” Chapman said.

The opt-in purchases are already flying off the shelves, according to Officeworks employee Gary King.

“It was flat chat at the moment,” he told 7NEWS.

“New laptops, iPads, printers going crazy.”

The next thing to do before July 1, according to Chapman, is to make a personal pension contribution.

That contribution can be claimed as a deduction, he said, allowing you to grow your retirement fund while still getting some cash back.

If you’ve been feeling altruistic or wanted to give back to the community, now is the perfect time.

Taxpayers can get their money back if they donate over $10 — just make sure you keep your receipt.

“You will make a big difference,” said The Smith Family CEO Doug Taylor.

“At The Smith Family, we are about 40 percent short of our fundraising goal.”

with one in 10 people are hanging around for tax refunds to ease the pressure on living costsmany taxpayers may be anxious to file their return as quickly as possible.

However, Australian Taxation Assistant Commissioner Rob Thomson has warned Australians not to rush, but to wait a few weekswith those filing their returns on July 1 or at the beginning of the month being twice as likely to make mistakes.

He said people racing to do it often forget to include items such as interest from banks, dividend income or details of private health insurance.

Thomson said it was better to wait, as from the end of July most information from banks, government agencies and health funds will be automatically loaded into the return.

“Tax time is not a race, and there’s a much greater chance that your return will be missing important information if you file in early July.” This is especially important if you receive income from multiple sources,” he said.

“We know some prefer to tick their tax return off their to-do list early and not think about it for another 12 months, but the best way to get it right is to wait just a few weeks to file.”

More information about tax relief and filing your tax return can be found at ATO website.

– With Chris Maher