This page provides information for teachers who are engaging their students in the Tax, Super + You competition.

Check out our competition poster and download it today.  
 

Teacher’s role

Your role is to help your class learn about tax and super and then challenge them to apply their learning and create great competition entries.

There’s no need to research and create your own classroom activities to teach your students about tax and super, we have done it for you!

The Tax, Super + You resource: 

• is packed with fun and engaging activities you can use in your classroom
• can be used by students as a starting point to allow them to research their topics and wow us with their knowledge
• will provide your students with essential skills and knowledge to use in their everyday life.

The competition is open to individual or group entries, that means you can assign it as part of your regular class work or as an extension activity.

Check out the 3 easy steps below to help your students enter the competition.

Making entering easy

1. Register for Tax, Super + You – free high-quality teacher-developed resources at your fingertips!
2. We recommend teaching tax and super using our curated resources – which can be used online or printed. They are aligned to the Australian Curriculum v9.0
3. Provide the competition topic to your class – it could even be an assessment!

The sky’s the limit on your student’s imagination and the entries they can create. Entries must be submitted by 5pm AEST on Friday 27 September 2024.

If you have further questions about the competition you can email us at taxsuperandyoucompetition@ato.gov.au

Expression of interest

If you would like to find out more information about the competition, or receive updates about tax and super in the curriculum, let us know! Fill in the expression of interest form and we will get back to you.

Testimonials

From teacher and student participants

‘I would definitely promote the competition to other teachers, because it's a fun learning experience to challenge the students beyond the classroom and there's the added benefit of cash prizes. We knew going into the competition it would be beneficial as the ATO has a very good reputation and is one organisation that the students will deal with as they embark on the working lives in the future. It's very positive for the students to have such a positive experience with the ATO at such a young age whilst learning about the seriousness of challenges around tax and super.’        
Teacher, WA

‘We wanted a fun way of getting students involved in becoming comfortable with using words associated with tax. (The competition) gave all the students an opportunity to be creative with a topic that is not traditionally seen as fun. It is a great way to engage students in a topic that can be confusing and sometimes tedious. But my students loved it and know so much more about tax than they actually thought they would!’        
Teacher, VIC

‘You would think students in high school would know simple concepts such as tax and super but just like land line phones and area codes these simple concepts seems to have missed this generation. Therefore the opportunity to provide current, relevant learning was not only a bonus as a teacher but I experienced much delight with the students displayed motivation and enthusiasm with learning about, well yes TAX! I can’t wait to run it again with my new group of students this year. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity.’        
Teacher, QLD

‘As a student participant I have gained a deeper understanding about the way tax and super works. I know about how saving money continuously as soon as you start work is very beneficial and a smart choice.’        
Student, WA

About the competition

The Tax, Super + You competition is split into two categories, Junior and Senior. Your entry should address the topic for your category. Entry topics for 2024:

• Junior (Year 7–9): “Explain how, when and why Australians pay tax.”
• Senior (Year 10–12): “Explain Australia’s superannuation system and the impact on the community if we didn’t have one.”

Types of entries students can submit

There are no limits on the type of the entry that students can submit. Some examples include:

• Write it: short stories, poems, scripts or case studies
• Make it: artworks, comic strips, songs, animations or prototypes of apps or games
• Film it: videos, skits or music clips.

Who can enter

The competition is open to all students in years 7–12 enrolled in the Australian education system (excluding immediate family members of the judging panel).

Students can submit up to three entries per person/group. A separate entry form must accompany each entry.

There is no entry fee.

About your entry

Use of third party materials      
You should only include other people’s material/s (e.g. music, film and images) in your entry, if you have obtained permission from the owner of the material/s’ or met licensing requirements. By submitting an entry that includes material owned by another third party, you are agreeing that you have obtained permission. Please note the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) may, at any time, request you provide evidence that demonstrates you have obtained permission from the owner of the material/s. Failure to do so may result in your entry being disqualified from the competition.      

Use of ATO brand      
Entries must not include branding, images, logos or government crests which are the property of or represent the ATO. For example, if a YouTube entry contains any part of the ATO logo, name or brand, or gives the impression that it is official in nature, the entry will be disqualified and we will request its removal or amendment.      

Digital entries      
There are limits on the file size of digital entries:

• entries uploaded to the online entry form have a maximum upload limit of 8MB.
• video entries must be provided using a video hosting website such as YouTube
• entries submitted by post have a maximum file size limit of 4GB

Acceptable digital file formats for the online entry form are:

• audio – MP3
• image files – PNG, JPG, JPEG
• other files – PDF, DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, ZIP
• website – URL address
• social media – for example, YouTube, Instagram and Vimeo links

Please note - file sharing service links are NOT acceptable. 

How to enter

Entries for the 2024 Tax, Super + You competition must be received by 5.00pm AEST on Friday 27 September 2024. Late entries will not be accepted.

Winners and prizes

There’s $12,000 in prizes for the winners and their schools. The following prizes are available in both the Junior and Senior categories:

• The top 3 prize winning entries in the Junior category – $1000 each plus $1000 for their school
• The top 3 prize winning entries in the Senior category – $1000 each plus $1000 for their school

Prizes will be provided as a pre-paid card and posted to the school address provided on the entry form. If the winning entry is a group entry, the entrants will be responsible for splitting the prize. If a school does not endorse an entry, that portion of the prize will be forfeited.

Selection of winners

The ATO will shortlist entrants from each category (Junior and Senior). The judging panel will select three winning entries for each category (Junior and Senior). The winners will be:

• notified by email
• published on taxsuperandyou.gov.au
• published in a media release.

What we are looking for

When shortlisting and selecting the winners of the competition, the ATO and judges will consider:

• Originality – how original is the concept presented?
• Execution – how well is the idea executed?
• Value – what is the potential marketing value of the concept?
• Relevance – how relevant is the idea to tax and super?

All decisions of the judging panel are final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

Use of shortlisted and winning entries

If your entry is shortlisted, you agree to take part in all reasonable publicity activities that may occur. You must allow the ATO to use your entry on ATO websites (taxsuperandyou.gov.au, ato.gov.au, and the ATO intranet) and on the ATO’s social media channels (including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and atoTV) for promotion of the competition and to support other marketing and communication campaigns.