What to do at tax time
When to lodge
The income year runs from 1 July to 30 June. Most people need to lodge a tax return between 1 July and 31 October.
If you need to complete a tax return, you need to either lodge it, or engage with a registered tax agent by 31 October.
How to lodge your tax return
You can lodge a tax return online, with a tax agent, or by paper.
The fastest way is to use myTax, the ATO’s online service for lodging a tax return. You can access myTax in your ATO online services account through myGov or the ATO app.
Things to do:
- Start your tax return online in ATO online services through myGov.
- Find out How to lodge your tax return on the ATO website.
Check you have reported all income
Some income and payments may not be on an income statement, payment summary or pre-fill in myTax. For example, government stimulus or disaster recovery payments and investment income. You still need to declare this income on your tax return.
Things to do:
- Find out what income you must declare on the ATO website.
- Know what payments don’t show on your Centrelink payment summary on the Services Australia website.
Submit a non-lodgment advice
If you don’t need to lodge a tax return, you need to advise the ATO by submitting a non-lodgment advice. You can do that in ATO online services through your myGov account or the ATO app.
If you don’t need to lodge a tax return but you get Child Care Subsidy or Family Tax benefit, you also need to tell Services Australia that you or your partner don’t need to lodge a tax return.
Things to do:
- Find out how to submit an ATO non-lodgment advice using ATO online services.
- Use your Centrelink online account to tell Services Australia you don’t need to lodge a tax return.
Check your tax return
After you lodge your tax return, you can check the progress of your tax return or an amendment using the ATO online services, the ATO app, or the self-help phone service.
Once your return is processed, the ATO sends you a notice of assessment that explains how your tax assessment is calculated. It will also show any tax you need to pay or your refund.
Check your notice of assessment with the details in your tax return to make sure there aren’t any mistakes. For example, you may have made a mistake or forgotten to include some income or a deduction.
If you have forgotten to include something in your tax return or made a mistake, you can amend your tax return.
Things to do:
- Check the progress of your tax return using ATO online services:
- Sign in to your myGov account then.
- Select Australian Taxation Office from your services.
- Select Manage tax returns.
- Select the tax return for the income year – the status shows the progress.
- Find out how else to check the progress of your tax return on the ATO website.
- Check your notice of assessment in your myGov Inbox.
- Find out how to request an amendment to your tax return on the ATO website.