Tax return deadline 2026: lodge by 2 November, or get more time with a tax agent

Tax time is nearly over for people who lodge their own return. If you haven't lodged your 2025–26 tax return yet, you have less than four weeks to lodge it yourself, or you can register with a tax agent and get more time.

Here are the key dates, what happens if you're late, and the deductions and income people most often get wrong.

Key dates for 2025–26 tax returns

Get more time with a tax agent

A registered tax agent can lodge under the ATO's lodgment program, which gives most individual clients until 15 May 2027. The key condition is timing: you need to be on the agent's client list before 31 October 2026. Registering on 1 November is too late.

There are other benefits too. An agent can check your claims against the ATO's rules, pick up deductions you may have missed, and deal with the ATO for you. The fee you pay a registered tax agent is tax deductible in next year's return.

What happens if you lodge late

• Failure-to-lodge penalties: the ATO can charge a penalty for each 28-day period a return is overdue, up to a maximum.
• Interest on unpaid tax: if you owe tax, the ATO can charge interest from the payment due date, and that interest is no longer tax deductible.
• Delayed refunds: if you're owed money, you won't get it until you lodge.

Can't lodge on time for a good reason, such as illness or a natural disaster? Contact the ATO or your agent before the due date. Our guide to reasonable excuses for a late tax return explains when penalties may be reduced.

Before you lodge

• Check that your income statement is marked "tax ready" in myGov. By October, most employers have finalised them.
• Review the pre-filled information, including interest, dividends, private health insurance and government payments, and compare it with your own records.
• Gather receipts and records for every deduction you plan to claim.

Deductions people often miss

To claim a work-related deduction, you must have spent the money yourself, it must relate directly to earning your income, you must not have been reimbursed, and you need a record. Common claims include:

• Working from home: the fixed rate is 70 cents per hour for 2025–26. You need a record of the actual hours you worked from home across the year, not an estimate. Equipment such as a desk or laptop is claimed separately.
• Car expenses: 88 cents per kilometre for work-related trips, up to 5,000 km (a maximum of $4,400). Normal travel between home and work generally doesn't count.
• Tools and equipment: items costing $300 or less can be claimed straight away. More expensive items are depreciated over time.
• Phone and internet: the work-related percentage only.
• Self-education: courses that relate directly to your current job.
• Union fees and professional memberships.
• Income protection insurance held outside super.
• Donations of $2 or more to registered charities (deductible gift recipients).
• Last year's tax agent fee.

Clothing is only deductible if it's a compulsory uniform, protective gear or occupation-specific. Our guides for office workers, tradies and people working from home go into more detail.

Income you must include

The ATO receives data from employers, banks, share registries, property managers, online platforms and crypto exchanges, so leaving income out is one of the quickest ways to get a review. Make sure you include:

• wages, allowances and bonuses
• bank interest and dividends
• rent from an investment property
• income from side work, gig platforms or rideshare driving
• capital gains from selling shares, property or crypto
• foreign income, if you're an Australian resident for tax purposes

Your tax return checklist

1. Decide now: lodge yourself by 2 November, or register with a tax agent before 31 October.
2. Confirm your income statement is tax ready.
3. Check the pre-filled data against your own records.
4. Total your work-related expenses and keep the receipts.
5. Keep your record of hours worked from home.
6. Add every source of income, including side work and investments.
7. Check your private health insurance details, to avoid an unexpected Medicare levy surcharge.

Haven't lodged yet? Register with Supertax before 31 October and we can lodge your return under the tax agent program, check every deduction, and handle the ATO for you. See our tax return services, or book a free 15-minute consultation. Consultations are available in English, Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ), Hindi (हिंदी), Urdu (اردو) and Gujarati (ગુજરાતી).

This article contains general information only and does not take your personal circumstances into account. Your due date may differ if you have overdue returns or a lodgment deferral. Speak with a registered tax agent before acting.