Lodging a tax return

You do a tax return at the end of each income year. The income year runs from 1 July to 30 June.

Lodge your tax return online

You can lodge your tax return using myTax in your Australian Taxation Office (ATO) online services. You access ATO online services through myGov.

  1. Sign in to myGov and select Australian Taxation Office.
  2. Select Tax, then Lodgements and then Income tax.
  3. From here you can see the tax returns you need to lodge.

You can also use the ATO app to lodge your tax return online with myTax.

Find out about creating a myGov account, linking to ATO and using myTax for your tax return. Some of these links will take you away from myGov.

Get help to lodge your tax return

You may be able to get help lodging your tax return through:

  • the ATO’s free Tax Help program
  • National Tax Clinics that help people who can’t afford professional tax advice
  • a registered tax agent, who will charge a fee to help with your tax return.

Find out more about these options and how to lodge a tax return. These links will take you away from myGov.

What you can claim in your tax return

When you prepare your tax return, you can claim a deduction for some of your work related expenses. This could reduce your taxable income, which is used to work out how much tax you need to pay.

To claim a deduction for your work related expenses:

  • you must have spent the money yourself and weren't reimbursed
  • the expenses must directly relate to earning your income
  • you must have a record to prove it, such as a receipt.

Find out what deductions you can claim on the ATO website.

Page last updated: 21 February 2024