In short
Ross Accounting prepares and lodges personal tax returns for employees, investors and retirees in Australia and overseas from its offices in Brookvale NSW and Redland Bay QLD. Ross Accounting Pty Ltd is a registered tax agent (TPB 21430015), so people who engage us before 31 October 2026 can generally lodge their 2025–26 return later than the self-lodger deadline, with most individuals in the agent program due by 15 May 2027.
Who we look after
David Ross founded Ross Accounting in 2003, and alongside its business clients the firm looks after many individuals. We prepare returns for people in all kinds of situations, from a single wage to several jobs, a share portfolio, a rental property and a spouse's income.
Whatever your situation, the approach is the same: we go through your income and expenses with a fine-tooth comb and look for every deduction you are entitled to for that year.
- Employees on salary or wages, including casuals and people who changed jobs during the year.
- Investors with interest, dividends, managed fund distributions, shares or a rental property. Property owners may also find our property investors page useful.
- Retirees living on a pension, super income streams or investments, including people who may qualify for the seniors and pensioners tax offset.
- People who are behind, with one or more earlier returns not yet lodged or an amount owing to the ATO.
Lodging through a registered tax agent
If you prepare your own return, the ATO deadline is 31 October each year, moving to the next business day when that date falls on a weekend. Registered tax agents have a lodgement program that generally allows their clients to lodge later, provided the agent is engaged before 31 October. The ATO also notes that only registered tax agents can charge a fee for preparing a return.
For 2025–26 returns, the ATO has published these due dates for individuals in the agent program:
| Your situation | Lodgement due |
|---|---|
| One or more earlier returns still outstanding at 30 June 2026 | 31 October 2026 |
| Latest return assessed with a tax liability of $20,000 or more | 31 March 2027 |
| All other individuals not required to lodge earlier, including first-time lodgers | 15 May 2027 |
| Returns due 15 May where any tax owing is also paid by then | 5 June 2027 |
You can check our registration on the Tax Practitioners Board register. For more dates, see our tax return deadlines guide and the tax calendar.
To use the later agent due dates for your 2025–26 return, get in touch with us before 31 October 2026.
Work-related deductions for 2025–26
A work-related deduction generally needs to be for something you spent money on yourself, directly connected to earning your income, not reimbursed, and backed by a record. The ATO requires written evidence to be kept for 5 years from the date you lodge, and a bank or card statement on its own does not count as written evidence.
- Car expenses: the cents per kilometre rate is 88 cents for 2025–26, capped at 5,000 work kilometres per car. The logbook method is the other option, and a different method can be used for each car.
- Working from home: the fixed rate is 70 cents per hour worked from home for 2025–26, and you need a record of the actual hours, not an estimate.
- Clothing and laundry: compulsory or registered uniforms, protective clothing and occupation-specific clothing that is not conventional.
- Self-education: where the course maintains or improves the skills needed for your current job, or is likely to increase your income from it.
- Other deductions: union and professional association fees, gifts to deductible gift recipients, income protection premiums and the cost of managing your tax affairs.
Our work-related deductions guide explains each category, and the record keeping guide covers what to keep.
What changes in 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.
The first tax rate falls from 16% to 15% from 1 July 2026, and is scheduled to fall again to 14% from 1 July 2027. The ATO describes this measure as law. The 2026–27 rates for residents are:
- Standard deduction of up to $1,000: from 2026–27, Australian residents who earn labour income such as wages receive a deduction of up to $1,000 for work-related expenses, applied automatically. It is reduced dollar for dollar by covered work expenses you claim, such as car, uniform, laundry and working from home costs, so people with higher expenses can still claim them in full with records. The Treasurer announced on 25 June 2026 that the bill had passed Parliament. It does not apply to 2025–26 returns.
- 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. They remain relevant only for 2025–26 and earlier years.
- Car expenses: the cents per kilometre rate is 91 cents for 2026–27.
- Working from home: at the time of writing, the ATO had not published a 2026–27 fixed rate. Check the ATO fixed rate page for updates.
| Taxable income | Tax on this income |
|---|---|
| $0 to $18,200 | Nil |
| $18,201 to $45,000 | 15c for each $1 over $18,200 |
| $45,001 to $135,000 | $4,020 plus 30c for each $1 over $45,000 |
| $135,001 to $190,000 | $31,020 plus 37c for each $1 over $135,000 |
| $190,001 and over | $51,370 plus 45c for each $1 over $190,000 |
See our 2026–27 tax rates guide and standard deduction guide for worked detail.
Investors and property owners
The ATO requires investment income such as interest, dividends, rent, managed fund and trust distributions and capital gains to be declared in your return. When you sell an asset you have owned for at least 12 months and you are an Australian resident for tax purposes, the capital gain can generally be reduced by 50%, after any capital losses are subtracted first. The ATO confirms the capital gains tax changes announced in the 2026–27 Federal Budget do not apply to Tax Time 2026.
Your home is generally exempt from capital gains tax. If you move out, you can usually keep treating it as your main residence for up to 6 years while it is rented out, or indefinitely if it is not used to earn income, provided you do not treat another property as your main residence at the same time.
Changes from 1 July 2027
The ATO states that the negative gearing and capital gains tax reforms announced on 12 May 2026 are now law and apply from 1 July 2027. Negative gearing for residential property will be limited to new builds, with properties held at 7:30pm AEST on 12 May 2026 exempt. For individuals, trusts and partnerships, the 50% discount will be replaced by cost base indexation and a 30% minimum tax rate on capital gains, applying only to gains that accrue after 1 July 2027.
If you are weighing up buying or selling, our tax planning service and the capital gains tax guide are a good starting point.
Retirees and the seniors offset
The seniors and pensioners tax offset (SAPTO) can reduce, or remove, the tax payable by eligible seniors and pensioners. To qualify you need to be eligible for an Australian Government pension or allowance and meet income limits for you and your spouse. The offset is applied when your return is assessed, any unused amount may be transferable to an eligible spouse, and people entitled to it also get a higher Medicare levy low-income threshold.
For 2026–27 the maximum offset is unchanged, while the income thresholds have moved because of the lower tax rate:
| Status | Maximum offset | Shading-out threshold | Cut-out threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | $2,230 | $36,034 | $53,874 |
| Each partner of a couple | $1,602 | $31,847 | $44,663 |
| Each partner of an illness-separated couple | $2,040 | $34,767 | $51,087 |
Retirees often also need to look at franking credits, private health insurance and whether a return is needed at all. Our tax offsets guide covers the other common offsets.
Medicare levy surcharge and study loans
The Medicare levy surcharge applies on top of the 2% Medicare levy to people who do not have an appropriate level of private patient hospital cover and whose income for surcharge purposes is above the threshold. If you have a spouse, your combined income is used. For 2026–27 it starts above $105,000 for singles and $210,000 for families, at rates of 1%, 1.25% or 1.5% depending on income. The family threshold rises by $1,500 for each dependent child after the first. More in our Medicare levy guide.
HELP and other study loans are repaid through your tax return. Since 2025–26, compulsory repayments use marginal rates, so at most income levels the repayment is worked out on income above the minimum threshold rather than on total income. For 2026–27 no repayment is due on repayment income up to $69,528, and 15 cents applies to each dollar above that up to $129,717. See our HELP repayments guide.
Getting started
New clients can start at our new clients page, call us on 1300 711 149, or send us a message. Documents can be brought to an appointment, emailed or sent through the MyAccountants app using the accountant code "Ross". The ATO suggests having these ready:
- Bank account details (BSB and account number) for any refund.
- Income statements or payment summaries from every employer.
- Centrelink (Services Australia) payment summaries, if any.
- Receipts or statements for the deductions you want to claim.
- Your spouse's income, if you have a spouse.
- Private health insurance details, if you have cover.
Investors will generally also need interest, dividend and distribution statements and rental records. Our tax return checklist has the full list. For wills and other legal matters, our in-house solicitor can help through our legal services.
Frequently asked questions
When is my 2025–26 tax return due if I use Ross Accounting?
Self-lodgers must lodge their 2025–26 tax return by 31 October 2026, or the next business day if that date falls on a weekend. Clients who engage a registered tax agent such as Ross Accounting before 31 October 2026 can generally lodge later: for most individuals the due date is 15 May 2027, unless an earlier date applies, such as 31 October 2026 for people with earlier returns outstanding at 30 June 2026 or 31 March 2027 where the latest return had a tax liability of $20,000 or more.
Can I get the $1,000 standard deduction on my 2025–26 tax return?
No. The ATO says the standard deduction of up to $1,000 for work-related expenses first applies in 2026–27 tax returns and is not available for 2025–26. From 2026–27 it is applied automatically for Australian residents who earn labour income such as wages, and it is reduced dollar for dollar by the covered work-related expenses claimed.
Do I still need receipts for work expenses in 2026–27?
Generally yes, if you claim work-related expenses in your 2026–27 return. From 1 July 2026 the $300 work-related expense and $150 laundry record-keeping exceptions no longer apply to any taxpayer, so work-related expenses claimed for 2026–27 need written evidence such as a receipt. If you rely only on the standard deduction of up to $1,000 instead of claiming those expenses, the ATO says records for them are not needed.
What is the cents per kilometre rate for car expenses?
The ATO cents per kilometre rate is 88 cents for 2025–26 and 91 cents for 2026–27, with a maximum of 5,000 work-related kilometres per car each year. No fuel receipts are needed, but you need a record showing how you worked out the kilometres. From 2026–27, car expenses claimed also reduce the standard deduction.
How much tax-free income can an individual earn in 2026–27?
For 2026–27, Australian residents pay no income tax on the first $18,200 of taxable income, and income from $18,201 to $45,000 is taxed at 15%, down from 16% in 2025–26. These rates do not include the 2% Medicare levy, and offsets such as the seniors and pensioners tax offset can raise the point at which tax becomes payable.
General information only, not personal advice. Tax rules change and your circumstances matter, so talk to us before acting. See our disclaimer.
