Tax Return 2026: Deadline, Refund Estimate and 2025-26 Tax Rates

2026 tax return deadlines

The agent dates depend on your lodgment history, so your agent will confirm the one that applies to you. The ATO says to contact a new or different agent before 31 October 2026 to be included in their lodgment program. For every tax date in the year, including BAS and super, see the tax calendar.

Do I need to lodge a 2026 tax return?

For most employees the answer is yes. The ATO’s own test for the 2025-26 year says you must lodge if any of its reasons apply. The main ones for people who earn a wage are below. This is a summary, not the full list.

• Tax was withheld from your pay. You were an Australian resident and paid tax under PAYG withholding or instalments, or had tax withheld from payments you received.
• Your taxable income was above $18,200. This is the tax-free threshold for a resident for the full year. The ATO’s threshold is $416 if you were under 18 on 30 June 2026 and your income was not salary or wages. Part-year residents and foreign residents have different amounts.
• You carried on a business or made a loss. That includes a capital loss, or a loss carried forward from an earlier year.
• Your income statement shows reportable fringe benefits or reportable employer super contributions.
• You earned government payments above set limits, or you are a liable parent or a parent entitled to child support and your income is above the ATO’s test amount. The exact limits depend on the payment, so use the ATO tool.
• You were on a 417 or 462 working holiday visa with Australian taxable income of $45,001 or more.

If tax was withheld from your pay you will normally want to lodge even on a small income, because that is how you claim the tax back. If none of the ATO’s reasons apply, you can tell the ATO with a non-lodgment advice instead. The ATO’s Do I need to lodge a tax return? tool works through the full list using your own details, and the ATO’s 2026 instructions set out every reason. Check any borderline case there before you rely on this page. Not lodging when you were required to can lead to penalties, so when in doubt, lodge.

When do I have to lodge my tax return?

The deadline for a self-lodged 2025-26 return is 31 October 2026. With a registered tax agent it is usually 15 May 2027, as long as you are on their client list by 31 October 2026. The full table of dates is under 2026 tax return deadlines above. There is no benefit in waiting until the deadline: you can lodge from 1 July, and the ATO pre-fills most employer, bank, health fund and government information by late July, so lodging after that point is the quickest way to a refund.

How much tax will I pay? 2025-26 tax rates

Your 2026 return is assessed on the 2025-26 resident tax rates below. The Medicare levy of 2% is added on top. People on low incomes pay a reduced levy or none, with the reduction starting at $28,011 for singles.

Tax on common incomes in 2025-26

What changed for 2025-26 returns

• Tax rates: the same as 2024-25. The 16% rate on $18,201 to $45,000 still applies. The cut to 15% starts with the 2026-27 year.
• Study loans: from 2025-26, compulsory repayments only start above $67,000 of repayment income. They are also worked out only on the income above that amount, instead of on your whole income. Separately, a one-off 20% cut was applied to every study loan debt that existed on 1 June 2025. The ATO has finished processing it. Model your repayment with the HECS-HELP calculator.
• Medicare levy surcharge: the singles threshold is $101,000 for 2025-26. Above it, you pay 1% to 1.5% if you don’t have private hospital cover. See private health insurance and Medicare.
• Working from home: the fixed rate stays at 70 cents an hour for 2025-26. You need a record of your actual hours for the whole year. See the work from home deductions guide.

How long will my 2026 tax refund take?

The ATO says most myTax returns are processed in 12 business days and most refunds are issued within 2 weeks. Paper returns take much longer: most refunds are issued within 50 business days. A return can take longer if the ATO needs to check something, or if the refund goes toward another tax or government debt first. You can track your return in ATO online services through myGov or in the ATO app. When it is finished, your notice of assessment shows how the refund was worked out.

How to lodge a tax return: myTax or a tax agent

1. Create a myGov account and link it to the ATO, if you have not already.
2. Check that your employer has finalised your income statement. The ATO pre-fills most data by late July.
3. Open myTax in ATO online services and check each pre-filled figure against your own records.
4. Add your deductions, with the receipts or records to back them up.
5. Review, declare and submit. Then track progress in ATO online services or the ATO app.

Getting a big refund usually means too much tax was withheld from your pay. To see how withholding and refunds work, and the deductions people most often miss, read the tax refund guide.

Tax return 2026 FAQs