How to Lodge a Tax Return in Australia — Complete Guide

Most Australians lodge their tax return online through the ATO’s myTax tool, accessed via myGov. The process typically takes 30–60 minutes for straightforward returns. You declare your income, claim your deductions, and the ATO calculates whether you are owed a refund or have a bill to pay.

Key Takeaways

• Lodge via myTax at my.gov.au — it pre-fills much of your information automatically
• The deadline for self-lodging is 31 October each year
• You need your income information, bank details, and records of any deductions you want to claim
• Most refunds arrive within 2 weeks of lodging electronically
• A tax agent can lodge on your behalf and extends your deadline to May

What You Need Before You Start

Income information:

• Payment summaries / income statements from all employers (available via myGov once your employer has finalised them — usually after 14 August)
• Bank interest statements (pre-filled from financial institutions, but check accuracy)
• Dividend statements from shares
• Rental income and expense records
• Any other assessable income: capital gains, foreign income, government payments

Deductions:

• Receipts or records for work-related expenses you intend to claim
• Records for the work-from-home fixed rate (diary of hours)
• Income protection insurance statements
• Charitable donation receipts
• Rental property expense records (interest, rates, insurance, depreciation schedule)

Other:

• Your myGov account linked to the ATO
• Bank account details for your refund (BSB and account number)
• Private health insurance details (insurer name, membership number) if applicable

How to Lodge via myTax — Step by Step

Step 1 — Log in to myGov and go to the ATO

Go to my.gov.au and log in. Select the ATO from your linked services. If you have not linked the ATO, see ATO Online Services Setup Guide.

Step 2 — Start a new tax return

Select “Tax” from the ATO menu, then “Lodge” and “Prepare return.” myTax will ask you to confirm the financial year.

Step 3 — Confirm pre-filled information

myTax pre-fills data from:

• Your employer’s income statement (wages and tax withheld)
• Bank interest (from financial institutions)
• Dividend information (from share registry)
• Government payments (Centrelink, Services Australia)
• Health insurance details (from private health insurers)
• HECS balance (if applicable)

Review every pre-filled item. It is not unusual for amounts to be incorrect or missing. You are responsible for the accuracy of your return regardless of what is pre-filled.

Step 4 — Add any missing income

If you have income that was not pre-filled (cash income, overseas income, capital gains from property), add it manually. Capital gains require you to enter each CGT event separately with cost base and proceeds.

Step 5 — Claim your deductions

Work through each deduction category:

• Work-related expenses
• Self-education expenses
• Other deductions (income protection insurance, donations, etc.)
• Rental property (if applicable) — enter using the rental schedule

For each deduction, you need a record. You do not submit receipts with myTax, but you must keep them for five years in case the ATO asks.

Step 6 — Tax offsets and private health insurance

Confirm your:

• Tax offsets (most are calculated automatically, such as LITO)
• Private health insurance details (to claim the rebate or confirm you held cover to avoid the Medicare Levy Surcharge)
• Dependant tax offsets if applicable

Step 7 — Review the estimate and submit

myTax shows you a real-time estimate of your tax position as you work through it. Before submitting, review all figures. Once satisfied, enter your bank account details for the refund (or note the amount owing and due date if you have a bill).

Submit the return. You will receive a receipt number confirming lodgement.

What Happens After You Lodge

The ATO processes most electronically lodged returns within 2 weeks. You will receive a Notice of Assessment by email (or via myGov) showing the finalised tax position. If you are owed a refund, it is deposited into your nominated bank account.

If you have a tax bill, it is due on the date shown on the Notice of Assessment — usually 21 days after the notice is issued.

When to Use a Tax Agent

A registered tax agent may be worth using if:

• Your situation is complex (rental property, business income, capital gains, overseas income)
• You are unsure what deductions you can claim
• You want the extended lodgement deadline (typically May the following year)
• You have prior years’ returns that have not been lodged

Tax agent fees are themselves tax-deductible in the following year.

See Tax Agent vs myTax — Which Should You Use?

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I lodge before my income statement is finalised? The ATO recommends waiting until your income statement is marked “Tax ready” (usually after 14 August) before lodging. You can lodge before then, but you may need to amend the return if figures change.

What if I make a mistake? You can amend a lodged return through myTax (within two years of the original lodgement date) or by contacting the ATO. See How to Amend a Tax Return.

Do I need to lodge if I earn below the tax-free threshold? If you have only one employer, claimed the tax-free threshold, and earned below $18,200 with tax withheld, you may not need to lodge. Use the ATO’s “Do I need to lodge?” tool to check. Even if not required, lodging may result in a refund of any tax withheld.

What happens if I don’t lodge by 31 October? The ATO may issue a Failure to Lodge (FTL) penalty. See What Happens if You Don’t Lodge.

This article provides general tax information. For advice tailored to your situation, speak with a registered tax agent. Find one through the Tax Practitioners Board register.