Your Australian tax return

A tax return is the yearly statement of income, deductions and offsets you lodge with the ATO through myTax or a registered tax agent. The ATO's notice of assessment then shows your refund or bill, and 2025-26 returns from self-lodgers were due by Monday 2 November 2026.

By Calculatax

The calculators and guides below sit within Calculatax's Australian tax & pay calculators and use ATO figures for 2025-26 and 2026-27.

Start here

Tax return calculator

Estimate your refund or bill from income, tax withheld and deductions.

Open calculator

2026-27 figures unless stated. Source: ATO.
At a glance	Figure	Source
Tax-free threshold (residents)	$18,200	ATO
Resident tax rates, 2026-27	15% from $18,201, 30% from $45,001, 37% from $135,001, 45% from $190,001	ATO
Medicare levy	2% of taxable income	ATO
Low income tax offset	Up to $700	ATO
Standard deduction for work-related expenses	Up to $1,000 with no receipts, from 2026-27 returns	ATO
Working from home fixed rate	70c per work hour (2024-25 and 2025-26)	ATO
HELP repayment threshold, 2026-27	$69,528	ATO
2025-26 self-lodger due date	Monday 2 November 2026, 11:59 pm local time	ATO

Tax return calculatorEstimates your refund or bill for 2025-26 or 2026-27 from income, tax withheld and deductions.
Tax deductionsExplains what you can claim, the $1,000 standard deduction and the records you need.
Working from home tax deductionsWorks out a fixed rate or actual cost claim for home office hours.

Who has to lodge a return

You generally need to lodge if any tax was withheld from your pay during the year. You also need to lodge if your taxable income was above the $18,200 tax-free threshold, even if no tax was withheld.

Other common triggers include business income, foreign income and a capital gain. If none apply and no tax was withheld, the ATO may need a non-lodgment advice instead of a return.

Lodging is also how you get back tax that was over-withheld. A student on $15,000 with tax taken out of every pay has to lodge to receive it.

Lodgment dates from 1 July to 31 October

Lodgment opens on 1 July and closes on 31 October for people who lodge their own return. In 2026, 31 October fell on a Saturday, so the ATO gave self-lodgers until 11:59 pm local time on the following Monday.

Source: ATO media releases, 19 October 2026 and 24 June 2024; ATO weekend and public holiday rule.
Date	What happens
1 July	Lodgment opens for the year just ended
After 1 July	Income statements, bank interest and private health details load into pre-fill
31 October	Standard due date for self-lodgers
Monday 2 November 2026	2025-26 due date, because 31 October 2026 was a Saturday
Monday 1 November 2027	2026-27 due date, because 31 October 2027 is a Sunday and the next business day applies

The ATO warns against "rushing to lodge… on 1 July" in its release The stakes are high if you lodge in early July (opens in a new tab). Waiting until pre-fill includes your income statement, bank interest and private health details means fewer amendments later.

The weekend rule and tax agent due dates

When a lodgment due date isn't a business day, the ATO's weekend and public holiday rule (opens in a new tab) allows you to lodge on the next business day. Applied to 2026-27 returns, that gives Monday 1 November 2027.

Clients of a registered tax agent may have later due dates under the agent's lodgment program. You usually need to be on the agent's books before your own deadline passes.

myTax or a registered tax agent

Option	What it does	Who uses it
myTax	The ATO's free online return, reached through myGov. It pre-fills most salary, interest, dividend and private health information.	It suits people with straightforward income.
Registered tax agent	Prepares and lodges for you and can give advice on your situation.	People with rental property, a business, capital gains or a large or unusual deduction often use an agent.

Agents must be registered with the Tax Practitioners Board, and you can check a name on its public register. The agent's fee for preparing last year's return is itself a deduction on your next return. The choice doesn't change the tax rates that apply, only who prepares the return.

Estimate your refund before you lodge

Your refund is the tax withheld during the year minus the tax you actually owe. Tax owed is income tax on taxable income, less offsets, plus the Medicare levy and any HELP repayment.

The tax return calculator runs that sum for 2025-26 or 2026-27. Rates and brackets for each year are set out under income tax Australia, and the PAYG withholding calculator shows how much should have come out of each pay.

Mid-year, the YTD income calculator projects the full year from your latest payslip, so you can see a refund or bill coming before 30 June.

What you can claim

You can claim work-related expenses you paid yourself, weren't reimbursed for and can show are linked to earning your income. Gifts to deductible gift recipients, the cost of managing your tax affairs and some insurance premiums are also deductible.

From 2026-27, Australian residents with labour income can claim a standard deduction of up to $1,000 for work-related expenses with no receipts. It's law under the Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Act 2026, and the first returns using it are lodged from July 2027. It doesn't apply to 2025-26 returns.

A deduction saves tax at your marginal rate. At 30% plus the 2% Medicare levy, $1,000 of deductions cuts tax by $320. The full list of claims is set out under tax deductions, and home office claims under working from home tax deductions.

How long refunds take

Most returns lodged online are processed within 10 business days, as the ATO's page on checking the progress of your tax return (opens in a new tab) explains. Paper returns take longer. The refund goes to the bank account you nominate, and the notice of assessment usually arrives in your myGov inbox.

Debts, amendments and late returns

The ATO can use a refund to pay an existing tax debt, and some other Commonwealth debts, before paying the rest to you. If you owe, the due date is on your notice of assessment, and the ATO offers payment plans if you can't pay in full.

If you find a mistake after lodging, you can amend the return in myTax or through your agent. Late returns can attract a failure-to-lodge penalty, including when you owe tax.

Two related areas have their own rules: contributions and caps under superannuation, and tax on business sales under GST in Australia, where the GST calculator adds or removes GST.

Tax return questions: deadlines, dividends and common claims

Still stuck? Email us

Last reviewed 1 November 2026

What is a tax return?

A tax return is the form you lodge with the ATO after 30 June each year to report your income, deductions and tax offsets. The ATO compares the tax you owe with the tax withheld from your pay, then refunds the difference or bills you. Self-lodgers usually have until 31 October to lodge.

When should I do my tax return?

Lodge once pre-fill shows your income statement, and no later than 31 October. For 2025-26 returns, the self-lodger deadline moved to Monday 2 November 2026 because 31 October fell on a Saturday. Clients of a registered tax agent may have a later date under the agent's lodgment program.

How do you declare dividends on your tax return?

Report the dividends you received during the year and any franking credits attached to them. myTax often pre-fills both from share registry data, but check them against your dividend statements. Franking credits count as income and then reduce your tax. If they exceed the tax you owe, the excess is refunded.

What can I claim at tax time?

Common claims include home office hours at 70 cents an hour for 2025-26, work car trips, uniforms, work-related courses, tools, gifts to charities and tax agent fees. From 2026-27, workers can claim a $1,000 standard deduction instead, with no receipts, which saves $320 at a 30% rate plus Medicare.

Keep going

Income tax australiaHow income tax works in Australia for 2026-27: rates, tax-free threshold, Medicare levy, offsets and HECS, with free...GST in AustraliaWhat is GST in Australia?

Sources