Australia Tax Filing Procedures Guide
Australian tax filing procedures. The guide covers: the myGov account (the "myGov") — the myGov account is the online portal used to access the ATO services (the "ATO online services" through the myGov); the taxpayer must link the myGov account to the ATO (the "ATO linked service"); through the myGov, the taxpayer can: (a) lodge the annual tax return (the "online tax return" through the "myTax"), (b) view the "income statement" (the "income statement" — the "payment summary" from the employer through the Single Touch Payroll), (c) view the "notice of assessment" (the "notice of assessment" — the "NOA"), (d) update the personal details (the "TFN", the "address", the "bank account"), (e) manage the "PAYG instalments", (f) manage the "superannuation" (the "superannuation fund" and the "superannuation contributions"); the annual tax return lodgement — the annual tax return (the "tax return for the individuals" — the form "Tax Return 2025" for the 2024-25 income year) must be lodged by the 31 October 2025 (for the "self-lodgers" — the taxpayers who lodge the return without the tax agent); the tax return can be lodged: (a) through the "myTax" (the "myTax" — the online lodgement through the myGov account — the return is pre-filled with the income data from the employers, the banks, the government agencies), (b) through the "registered tax agent" (the "tax agent" — the lodgement deadline is extended to the 15 May 2026 for the "tax agent lodgement program" participants); the notice of assessment (the "NOA") — the ATO issues the "notice of assessment" (the "NOA") after the tax return is processed; the NOA shows: (a) the "taxable income", (b) the "tax assessed", (c) the "tax offsets" (the "LITO", the "SAPTO", the "franking credits"), (d) the "Medicare levy" and the "Medicare levy surcharge", (e) the "tax payable" or the "refund"; the taxpayer can object to the NOA within the "60-day objection period" (the "objection period"); the record-keeping requirements — the taxpayer must keep the records for at least 5 years from the date of the lodgement of the tax return (the "record-keeping period"); the records include: (a) the "income records" (the "payment summaries", the "bank statements", the "dividend statements", the "interest statements"), (b) the "expense records" (the "receipts", the "invoices", the "diaries", the "logbooks"), (c) the "investment records" (the "purchase and the sale contracts", the "brokerage statements", the "shareholder statements"), (d) the "crypto records" (the "transaction history", the "wallet addresses", the "exchange statements"), (e) the "property records" (the "purchase and the sale contracts", the "settlement statements", the "rental records", the "depreciation schedules"); the penalties for the late lodgement — the ATO imposes the "failure to lodge on time penalty" (the "FTL penalty") for the late lodgement of the tax return: (a) the penalty is $313 (the "one penalty unit" — $313 for the 2025-26 year) for each 28-day period (up to the maximum of $3,130 for the "five penalty units") for the "small entities" (the "small entity" — the aggregated turnover below $10 million), (b) the penalty is $940 for each 28-day period for the "medium entities" (the "medium entity" — the aggregated turnover between $10 million and $250 million), (c) the penalty is $1,565 for each 28-day period for the "large entities" (the "large entity" — the aggregated turnover above $250 million); the tax agent lodgement program (the "lodgement program") — the registered tax agents can apply for the "lodgement program" (the "tax agent lodgement program") which extends the lodgement deadline to the 15 May (for the individuals), the 15 May (for the companies and the trusts), and the 5 June (for the self-managed superannuation funds); the ATO also offers the "payment plan" (the "PAYG instalment plan" or the "payment arrangement") for the taxpayers who cannot pay the tax on time. All amounts in Australian Dollars (AUD). For related reading, see our Personal Tax Guide → and Starting a Business Guide →.
Key Deadlines
- 31 October: The deadline for the individual taxpayers who lodge the tax return without the tax agent. The "self-lodger" must lodge the "Tax Return 2025" by 31 October 2025. The late lodgement penalty applies from 1 November 2025.
- 15 May (following year): The deadline for the individual taxpayers who lodge through the registered tax agent under the "lodgement program". The agent must be registered and the taxpayer must be on the agent's "lodgement program" list before the 31 October deadline.
- 15 May (companies/trusts): The deadline for the companies and the trusts to lodge the annual tax return through the tax agent. The companies and the trusts on the "standard 30 June balance date" must lodge by 15 May 2026.
For the ATO online services and the myGov account setup, see the ATO website (ato.gov.au).
Record Keeping — 5 Year Rule
- 5 years from lodgement: The taxpayer must keep the records for at least 5 years from the date of the lodgement of the tax return. For the CGT assets, the records must be kept for 5 years from the date of the disposal of the asset. The ATO can request the records at any time during the 5-year period.
- Digital records: The ATO accepts the digital records (the "electronic records" — the scanned receipts, the PDF bank statements, the Excel spreadsheets). The taxpayer must ensure that the digital records are legible and can be produced on the request. The records must be in the English language or translated into the English.
For the tax audit and the ATO compliance checks, see our Tax Audit & Appeals Guide →.