Backup your Tax Return (eTax 2008 & eTax 2009)

Over the past few weeks I have been helping a friend out with his tax return. He didn’t want to visit an accountant so I encouraged him to try the direct method using the eTax 2008 software made available via the ATO website.

The system worked a treat. This was made easier by the fact that he had a pretty simple tax return to lodge but even if it was more complicated eTax was relatively easy to use.

One thing that came to mind however was that many people using this type of service would by default keep their tax records on their PC. This means that over time, eTax would accumulate a wealth of information about your financial position that should be protected, from both a virus/identity attack as well as a PC disaster. Imagine losing it all.

As most users don’t backup their PC, neither would there be a backup of their tax records.

If you are using something like eTax to complete your tax return I would really encourage you to look into an online backup service like Carbonite. For just $79.99 pa it offers real peace of mind, because inevitably your PC will die and with it will also go the hours of work you have put into preparing your tax return.

Backing up eTax is really easy. eTax sits on your C: drive. Just find the folder via Windows Explorer. You will also see the files you have created for yourself. Their extensions are .TAX and .BAK. Right click on them and select Backup with Carbonite.

Carbonite is the ideal online backup solution for all users of eTax 2008 and eTax 2009. Access a free 90 day trial here.