Individual tax returns: more refund, less tax

Who it is for

• Employees on salary or wages, including people with several jobs during the year.
• Investors with interest, dividends, managed fund distributions, shares or a rental property.
• Retirees and self-funded retirees, including people who may be entitled to the seniors and pensioners tax offset.
• Anyone repaying a HELP or other study loan, or unsure about the Medicare levy surcharge.
• People with one or more overdue tax returns from earlier years.
• Sole traders are covered on our sole trader tax returns page.

More refund, less tax

A tax return reports the income you earned between 1 July and 30 June and the deductions you are claiming. The ATO uses it to work out whether you paid too much or too little tax through the year, whether you owe the Medicare levy or surcharge, and which tax offsets apply. If too much was withheld, the difference comes back to you as a refund.

If you have more than one income source, investments, a rental property or plenty of work-related expenses, come and see us and make your money work for you. You are only as good as what you can prove, so we check your records against what you can legitimately claim and make sure nothing is missed.

When your return is due

If you lodge your own return, the ATO deadline is 31 October each year, moving to the next business day when 31 October falls on a weekend. For 2025–26 returns, 31 October 2026 is a Saturday, so that weekend rule applies this year.

Most registered tax agents have a lodgement program that lets their clients lodge later. To be included, you need to engage the agent before 31 October. The due date then depends on your history and income. For 2025–26 returns the ATO has published these dates for individuals:

Self-lodgers who lodge between 1 July and 31 October and end up with a tax bill must generally pay by 21 November. For returns due on 15 May 2027 through an agent, the ATO staggers the payment date: 21 March 2027 if lodged by 12 February 2027, 21 April 2027 if lodged from 13 February to 12 March 2027, and 5 June 2027 if lodged from 13 March 2027. See our tax return deadlines guide and the tax calendar for more dates.

If you want the later agent due date, the key step is to engage a registered tax agent before 31 October.

myGov, the ATO and pre-filled information

Linking the ATO to your myGov account gives you access to ATO online services. For online returns, the ATO says it pre-fills most information from employers, banks, government agencies, health funds and other third parties by late July.

Once your return is processed, your notice of assessment and tax receipt go to your myGov Inbox if the ATO is linked. If you lodge on paper without a linked account, they are posted to the address the ATO holds for you.

The myDeductions tool in the ATO app lets you store receipts and other records through the year and email them to your tax agent. Clients can also send documents straight to us through the MyAccountants app (accountant code "Ross").

Deductions we look for

A deduction generally needs to relate directly to earning your income, must not have been reimbursed, and needs a record. The ATO says written evidence must be kept for 5 years from the date you lodge the return, and a bank or card statement on its own is not enough.

• Car expenses: the cents per kilometre rate is 88 cents for 2025–26 and 91 cents for 2026–27, up to 5,000 work kilometres per car. The logbook method is the other method the ATO allows for a car you own or lease.
• Working from home: the fixed rate is 70 cents per work hour for 2025–26, with a record of actual hours worked. At the time of writing the ATO had not published a 2026–27 rate.
• Clothing and laundry: compulsory or registered uniforms, protective clothing and occupation-specific clothing, but not conventional clothes, even if your employer requires them.
• Self-education, tools and equipment: where the expense has a sufficient connection to your current work.
• Gifts and donations: for 2025–26 the $2 minimum for gifts to deductible gift recipients has been removed.
• Investment and rental expenses: costs of earning interest, dividends, distributions or rent.
• Other items: union fees, income protection premiums, personal super contributions and the cost of managing your tax affairs.

Interest charges from the ATO (general interest charge and shortfall interest charge) incurred on or after 1 July 2025 can no longer be claimed, starting with 2025–26 returns. Our work-related deductions guide covers each category in more detail.

What changes for 2026–27

Several changes apply from 1 July 2026. They affect the 2026–27 return that most people will lodge from July 2027, not the 2025–26 return being lodged now.

• Lower first tax rate: the 16% rate used for 2025–26 falls to 15% from 1 July 2026 and to 14% from 1 July 2027. The ATO describes this measure as law. See our 2026–27 tax rates guide.
• Standard deduction of up to $1,000: Australian residents who earn labour income such as wages get a deduction of up to $1,000 for work-related expenses, applied automatically and reduced dollar for dollar by the covered work expenses they claim. The Treasurer announced on 25 June 2026 that the bill had passed Parliament, and the ATO says it first applies in 2026–27 returns. It does not apply to 2025–26 returns. More in our standard deduction guide.
• Record-keeping exceptions removed: from 1 July 2026 the $300 work-related expense limit, the $150 laundry limit and the award transport exemption no longer apply, for all taxpayers. Those exceptions only cover 2025–26 and earlier years. Laundry can still be worked out at $1 per load of work clothes or 50 cents per mixed load.
• Seniors and pensioners tax offset: for 2026–27 the maximum offset stays at $2,230 for a single person, with the shading-out threshold moving to $36,034 and the cut-out threshold to $53,874.

Refunds and your notice of assessment

The ATO aims to process returns lodged online or through a tax agent within 12 business days, and paper returns within 50 business days. Your notice of assessment shows the tax on your taxable income, the credits for tax already paid, and the resulting refund or amount owing with its due date.

Check your notice when it arrives. The ATO can generally review a return for 2 years after the assessment, or 4 years in some circumstances, and may increase or reduce the result. If something was left out or claimed incorrectly, the return can be amended; see our guide to amending a tax return. If you have a tax bill you cannot pay in one go, our tax debt service can help.

HELP debts and the Medicare levy

The Medicare levy is 2% of taxable income and is usually covered by the tax your employer withholds. Reductions and exemptions can apply depending on your income and circumstances.

The Medicare levy surcharge is separate and applies when you, your spouse and dependants do not hold an appropriate level of private patient hospital cover and your income for surcharge purposes is above the threshold. For 2026–27 the surcharge starts above $105,000 for singles and $210,000 for families, at rates of 1%, 1.25% or 1.5%. Read more in our Medicare levy guide.

HELP and other study loans are repaid through your tax return once your repayment income passes the threshold. Since 2025–26 repayments are calculated only on income above the threshold. For 2026–27 no repayment is due on repayment income up to $69,528, and 15 cents per dollar applies above that up to $129,717. The 2025–26 threshold was $67,000. See our HELP repayments guide.

How it works

1. 1
   Get in touch

   Call us on 1300 711 149, or contact us before 31 October so you are part of our lodgement program. New clients can start at new clients.

2. 2
   Send your paperwork

   Bring your documents to an appointment or send them through the MyAccountants app (accountant code "Ross").

3. 3
   We review and ask questions

   We compare your records with the ATO pre-filled data and ask about anything that could add a deduction or offset.

4. 4
   You check and sign

   We go through the return with you before anything is lodged.

5. 5
   We lodge and follow up

   We lodge your return. Once the ATO processes it, your notice of assessment goes to your myGov Inbox if the ATO is linked to your myGov account, or by post otherwise.

What to bring

• Bank account details (BSB and account number) for your refund.
• Income statements or payment summaries from every employer.
• Centrelink (Services Australia) payment summaries, if any.
• Interest, dividend and managed fund distribution statements.
• Receipts, invoices and logbooks for the deductions you want to claim.
• Rental property statements and expense records, if you own a rental.
• Your private health insurance details and your spouse's income, if applicable.
• Last year's notice of assessment, if you are a new client.