How to Lodge Your Individual Tax Return Online with myTax in Australia

Start with a myGov account linked to the ATO

myTax is accessed through ATO online services. You need a myGov account with an active ATO link before you can prepare and lodge your individual tax return online.

To access myTax:

1. sign in to myGov;
2. select Australian Taxation Office from your linked services; and
3. select Manage tax returns from the Quick link.

If the ATO is not linked, use myGov's View and link services function and select the Australian Taxation Office. The linking process requires identity information that matches the ATO's records.

If you have previously strengthened access to ATO online services by signing in with myID, the ATO may require you to use myID with the same or a higher identity strength for later access. If you need to establish myID, see how to set up myID and verify your digital identity.

Know which financial year you are lodging

The Australian individual income year runs from 1 July to 30 June. The return lodged during Tax Time 2026 normally reports your income and relevant tax information for 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026.

myTax also supports online lodgment for earlier income years, subject to the ATO's availability rules. Make sure you select the correct income year before entering or changing information.

When is your 2025–26 tax return due?

If you prepare and lodge your own individual tax return, the standard deadline is 31 October 2026. The ATO states that a tax return must be lodged, or a registered tax agent engaged, by 31 October unless another due date applies.

If you use a registered tax agent, you may qualify for a later lodgment date under the tax agent lodgment program, but you generally need to contact the agent by 31 October.

If you cannot lodge by your applicable due date, contact the ATO as soon as possible rather than simply leaving the return overdue.

Check that your tax information is ready before lodging

myTax opens for the new income year from July, but lodging immediately is not always the best option. Employers, banks, government agencies, private health insurers and other organisations progressively report information to the ATO.

The ATO pre-fills information it has received into myTax. This can include employment income, bank interest, government payments and other reportable amounts. The ATO advises that waiting for pre-fill information can make a return easier and more accurate.

Before lodging, check whether each employer income statement is marked tax ready. An income statement reported through Single Touch Payroll replaces the payment summary that many employees previously received as a group certificate.

Do not submit pre-filled data without reviewing it

Pre-fill is a convenience, not a transfer of responsibility to the ATO. You must check the information against your own records and add anything that is missing.

Information can arrive at different times. For example, income from one employer or interest from one financial institution may appear before information from another source. If you lodge before all relevant information is available, you need your own complete records so that you can enter the missing amounts yourself.

You are responsible for the accuracy of the return, including information that the ATO has pre-filled.

Report all income that applies to your circumstances

Personalise myTax for the types of income, deductions and other items that apply to you. Depending on your circumstances, income can include salary and wages, government payments, interest, dividends, investment income, foreign income, rental income, capital gains, superannuation income and business or sole-trader income.

Do not omit an amount merely because it has not appeared automatically. Compare myTax with your income statements, financial records and other relevant documents before submitting the return.

If you worked in Australia as a migrant or temporary visa holder and still need a tax file number before dealing with Australian tax obligations, see the separate guide to applying for a tax file number as a migrant or temporary visa holder.

Enter deductions you are entitled to claim

myTax allows you to add and review deductions that apply to your circumstances. A deduction reduces taxable income; it is not automatically a refund of the amount you spent.

For work-related expenses, the ATO's general rules require that you spent the money yourself and were not reimbursed, the expense directly relates to earning your income, and you have a record to prove the claim unless a specific record-keeping exception applies. If an expense has both work and private use, you can claim only the work-related portion.

Different deduction categories have specific rules, calculation methods and record requirements. Use the rules for the actual expense rather than estimating a deduction simply because you work in a particular occupation.

What records should you prepare?

The exact documents depend on your circumstances, but before lodging you should have the records needed to check income and substantiate the claims in your return. These can include:

• income statements or payment summaries where relevant;
• bank and investment income records;
• records for government payments or other income not already correctly pre-filled;
• receipts, invoices and other evidence for deductible expenses;
• working-from-home or vehicle records where the relevant deduction method requires them;
• investment, rental property or capital gains records if those sections apply;
• private health insurance information where relevant; and
• details supporting any other tax offsets, deductions or declarations you make.

The retention period depends on the type of record and your circumstances. The ATO's general individual record-keeping guidance commonly requires tax records to be kept for 5 years, but some records must be retained for longer, including records connected with assets and capital gains. Follow the rule that applies to the particular record.

Review the return before pressing lodge

When all relevant sections are complete, review the return carefully. myTax can provide an estimate and breakdown of a refund or amount owing, but the final result comes from the ATO's assessment.

Before lodging:

• check that all required income is included;
• check every deduction and tax offset you claimed;
• review pre-filled amounts against your records;
• make sure your personal details are correct;
• check your Australian bank account details if you may receive a refund; and
• read and complete the declaration accurately.

You can review and print your myTax return before or after lodgment. Keep a copy with your tax records.

Check your bank details before lodging

Provide valid Australian financial institution details if you are expecting a refund. The ATO has a discretionary power to retain certain refunds and credits for up to 90 days where valid Australian financial institution details have not been provided.

The ATO says this refund-holding rule does not apply where valid Australian financial institution details are supplied with the tax return. Checking the account details before submission can therefore prevent an avoidable delay.

How long does myTax processing take?

The ATO states that most refunds from online tax returns issue within 2 weeks. This is a typical timeframe, not a guarantee that every return will be finalised within that period.

Some returns need extra processing. If the ATO requires additional information, it may contact you. Do not lodge the same tax return again simply because processing has not finished, as duplicate action can create further problems.

Check the progress of your return online

You can monitor your lodged return without submitting it again. To check the status:

1. sign in to myGov;
2. select ATO from your linked services;
3. select Manage tax returns; and
4. select the income year you want to check.

The status displayed there shows how the return is progressing. You can also check a current return through the ATO app or use the ATO's self-help phone service.

When a return reaches the balancing-account stage, the ATO is working out the final refund or bill after considering your tax account and relevant Australian Government debts or credits.

Your notice of assessment gives the final outcome

After processing the return, the ATO issues the assessment outcome. The result may be a refund, an amount you need to pay or neither.

The estimate shown by myTax before lodgment is useful for checking the expected result, but it is not the final notice of assessment. The final amount can be affected by the ATO's processing of the return and your account position.

If a refund is due, the effective date shown in ATO systems is generally when the ATO sends the refund to your financial institution. Your bank may then need additional time to process the payment.

Made a mistake after lodging? Amend the return instead

If you discover that you forgot income, entered an incorrect amount or claimed something incorrectly after lodgment, do not submit another original return for the same year.

Wait until the original return has finished processing, then use the appropriate amendment process. Helpydo has a separate step-by-step guide on how to amend an Australian tax return after it has been lodged.

If you do not need to lodge, submit the correct notice

Not everyone needs to lodge an individual tax return every year. Use the ATO's Do I need to lodge a tax return? tool or official criteria to check your circumstances.

If you are not required to lodge, you may need to tell the ATO by submitting a non-lodgment advice. myTax and ATO online services provide a way to tell the ATO that a return is not necessary for an income year.

Common myTax mistakes to avoid

• Lodging before income statements are tax ready: check employer reporting before relying on pre-fill.
• Assuming pre-fill is complete: compare it with your own records and add missing income.
• Not checking pre-filled amounts: you remain responsible for the accuracy of information submitted.
• Claiming deductions without meeting the rules: claim only eligible expenses and retain the required evidence.
• Entering the wrong bank details: verify the Australian account that should receive any refund.
• Missing 31 October: self-preparers normally need to lodge by 31 October unless another due date applies.
• Lodging the same return again while it is processing: check its status instead.
• Submitting another original return to fix a mistake: once the first return is processed, use the amendment process.