After you lodge your tax return
Tax return
It usally takes 12 business days to process your return if you’ve lodged online with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
You can use the ATO app or ATO online services to check the progress of your tax return. You won’t be able to get an earlier progress update by calling the ATO.
To check the progress of your tax return using ATO online services, follow these steps:
- Sign in to your myGov account.
- Select Australian Taxation Office from your linked services.
- Select Manage tax returns from the Quick link.
- View the relevant income year and view the Status to check the progress of your tax return.
You’ll need to link the ATO to your myGov account, if you haven’t already.
Find out more about how to check the progress of your tax return on the ATO website.
If you made a mistake or need to add information, you can amend your tax return.
To submit an amendment through myGov, follow these steps:
- Sign in to your myGov account.
- Select Australian Taxation Office from your linked services.
- Select Manage tax returns from the Quick link.
- Select Amend next to the income year you want to amend.
You’ll need to link the ATO to your myGov account, if you haven’t already.
Find out how to request an amendment to your tax return on the ATO website.
You’ll get a notice of assessment sent to your myGov Inbox when the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has processed your tax return. This will show:
- how your tax assessment was calculated
- any tax you need to pay or your refund.
Learn more about your your notice of assessment on the ATO website.
Centrelink family assistance payments
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will tell Services Australia what your income was for the financial year once your tax return has been processed.
Services Australia will use this information to balance your family payments.
Find out how to track the progress of your Family Tax Benefit (FTB) balancing and your Child Care Subsidy (CCS) balancing on the Services Australia website.
Once your family payments have been balanced, you’ll get an outcome letter from Centrelink.
Find out about understanding your Family Tax Benefit (FTB) balancing outcome and Child Care Subsidy (CCS) balancing outcome on the Services Australia website.
Child Support
After processing your tax return, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) confirms both parent’s income with Services Australia. If you submitted a non-lodgment advice with the ATO you need to confirm your income using your Child Support online account through myGov.
Services Australia then works out who needs to pay child support and how much.
You’ll get a new assessment letter from Child Support.
If you estimated your income for child support, Services Australia will compare your income estimate to your actual income confirmed in your tax return.
If your actual income is more or less than the estimate, your child support assessment may not have been correct. Services Australia can use your tax refund to repay any outstanding child support. This includes if you owe or if you’ve been overpaid child support.
Find out more about child support at tax time on the Services Australia website.
Money you owe
Once your tax return has been processed and your family payments balanced, you may owe money to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) or Services Australia.
You may be able to set up a payment plan if you can’t pay your tax bill in full. Find out about setting up a payment plan on the Australian Tax Office (ATO) website.
To set up a payment plan through myGov follow these steps:
- Sign in to your myGov account.
- Select Australian Taxation Office from your linked services.
- Select Tax.
- Select Payments, then select Payment plans.
You’ll need to link the ATO to your myGov account, if you haven’t already.
If you are experiencing financial hardship, a personal crisis or a natural disaster, find out about tax support for individuals on the ATO website. You should contact the ATO before your tax bill is due.
There are options to help you repay a Centrelink debt in a way that suits you. This includes setting a payment arrangement in your Centrelink online account through myGov.
Follow these steps:
- Sign in to your myGov account.
- Select Centrelink from your linked services.
- Select MENU from your homepage.
- Select Payments and claims, then Manage payments and Money you owe.
You’ll need to link Centrelink to your myGov account, if you haven’t already.
Find out how to repay money you owe to Centrelink on the Services Australia website.