Australian tax return deadline: Important ATO lodgement dates

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes

When is the 2026 tax return deadline?

The Australian tax return deadline for the 2025–26 financial year is 31 October 2026. You must lodge a 2026 tax return if you earned any income between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026.

You don’t need to know anything about tax to lodge your 2026 tax return with Etax, that’s exactly what we’re here for. Ready to lodge? The 2026 Etax return will be available soon!

The 2024 & 2025 tax deadlines have passed

2024 and 2025 tax returns are now overdue. Lodge now to try and avoid serious ATO fines.

When should I do my overdue return?

Now! The 2024 and 2025 tax deadlines are well in the past, so you should lodge your tax return as soon as possible.

What happens if you miss the tax return deadline?

Taxpayers who don’t lodge before the tax deadline could face financial penalties and interest charges from the ATO. Once you owe money, that debt will continue to grow with more interest over time.

It’s very risky to ignore because the ATO never forgets an unlodged return, no matter how old. It may temporarily pause tax debts while income is low but will always come back for it later. It can feel stressful, but catching up is more straightforward than most people expect. 

What are the ATO penalties and charges for late tax returns?

The ATO can apply penalties of $330* for the following offences:

• Failure to lodge a return or statement on time
• Make a false or misleading statement
• Fail to withhold amounts as required under PAYG system
• Fail to meet other tax obligations

Penalties for late lodgement:

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Days Past Deadline — Late Lodgement Penalty

1 – 28 days — $330

29 – 56 days — $660

57 – 84 days — $990

85 – 112 days — $1,320

113+ days — $1,650

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General interest charges (GIC) may also apply to unpaid tax that’s owing such as:

• Any tax, charge, levy or penalty that is unpaid or paid late
• A shortfall in your income tax instalment

For more information about penalties and interest charges, visit our page on ATO late lodgement penalties.

*Maximum penalties apply.

What if I didn’t work this year?

Even if you didn’t work this financial year, you still need to tell the ATO. You can do this by submitting a Non Lodgement Advice (which Etax can take care of, free of charge).

Can I get a tax deadline extension?

In most cases, Etax can get you a tax deadline extension, often to 15 May the next year, if you meet these criteria:

• You have used Etax before the tax deadline of 31 Oct and Etax is appointed as your tax agent
• You don’t have a tax debt with the ATO
• No unlodged or overdue tax returns for previous years
• No outstanding Centrelink or Child Support debts

Etax Accountants helps thousands of people get tax deadline extensions each year. If you’re not sure if you are eligible for an extension, get in touch with your accountant within your Etax account (via messages) who can check your ATO records.

What if my tax return is overdue?

If your tax return is overdue, or you’ve missed a year (or two), Etax is fast and easy. With Etax, most clients can complete any overdue return in about 10 minutes. No appointments are needed, and qualified accountants are available by phone or live chat.

If you receive a late lodgement fine, Etax can contact the ATO on your behalf to request a reduction or cancellation. You may be eligible for the ATO to waive your fine if all your returns are up to date and you have no other amounts outstanding.

Whether the ATO agrees to waive a fine is at its discretion. As your tax agent, Etax will advocate for you and can also request a payment plan to make any amount owing more manageable.

You can learn more here about how to handle late tax returns.

How to lodge your tax return with Etax:

1. Gather your receipts for work-related expenses from the past financial year, this helps maximise your refund.
2. Log in to Etax. Log in or register to start your return. You do not need your Income Statement or PAYG summary, Etax collects that information from the ATO on your behalf.
3. Add your details. Fill in as much as you can, even if it’s not perfect and you can ask questions any time via My Messages, live chat, or phone.
4. Sign your return. Once you are done, sign your Etax return online and the accountants get to work.

What happens after you sign?

1. First check. Etax reviews your return to make sure nothing is out of place.
2. Accountant review. Your accountant looks for anything that may cause ATO queries, and for any deductions you may have missed.
3. Communication and updates. Your accountant answers any questions you send and gets in touch if they find additional deductions or need more information.
4. ATO lodgement. Once any amendments are complete, your return is lodged with the ATO.

Frequently Asked Questions