When do I have to do my tax return by?

You have from 1 July to 31 October to lodge your tax return unless it is prepared by a registered tax agent. If you cannot lodge your tax return by 31 October, phone 13 28 61 as soon as possible (before 31 October) to find out if you can lodge at a later date.

Failure to lodge on time penalty
We may apply a failure to lodge on time penalty if you lodge your tax return late. However, our policy is not to apply a penalty if your tax return: is lodged voluntarily, and does not result in any tax payable.

We are likely to apply a penalty if: you have more than one tax return outstanding you have a poor lodgement history, or you have not complied with a request to lodge your tax return.

If your tax return is incomplete – for example, if it is not signed – we may send it back to you. If that happens, we consider that your tax return is lodged on the date it is returned to us complete.

What to read / do next
Tax return essentials
Failure to lodge on time (FTL) penalty - frequently asked questions