What Is myTax?
myTax is the Australian Taxation Office's free, online tax return lodgement tool, available through your myGov account. It is designed for individuals with straightforward tax affairs — employees, sole traders, and most investors can lodge their annual income tax return entirely online, usually in under an hour.
myTax replaces the older paper-based tax return and is available from 1 July each year for the previous financial year's return. The deadline for self-lodgers is generally 31 October.
Before You Begin
- Link the ATO to your myGov account (if you haven't already)
- Have your Tax File Number (TFN) handy
- Gather records of any income, deductions, and expenses not captured automatically
- Wait until late July if possible — most pre-fill data from employers, banks, and health funds is uploaded by then
Understanding Pre-Fill Data
One of myTax's most useful features is pre-fill (also called auto-fill). The ATO automatically pulls data from:
- Your employer's Single Touch Payroll (STP) reports — your salary and tax withheld
- Your bank — interest earned on savings accounts
- Your private health fund — whether you hold eligible private hospital cover
- Government agencies — any Centrelink or DVA payments received
- Share registries — dividend income
Important: Pre-fill data is a guide, not guaranteed to be complete. Always check it against your own records and add anything that is missing.
Step-by-Step: Lodging in myTax
- Sign in to myGov and click on the ATO service.
- From the ATO dashboard, select "Prepare and lodge" under Tax, then choose myTax.
- Confirm your personal details — name, address, bank account for your refund.
- Work through each section: income, deductions, tax offsets, and adjustments. myTax only shows the sections relevant to your situation.
- Review the summary, which shows your estimated refund or amount owing.
- Declare the return is true and correct, then click Submit.
Common Deductions You Can Claim
| Deduction Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Work-related expenses | Tools, uniforms, home office costs, professional development |
| Vehicle & travel | Work-related car use (logbook or cents-per-km method) |
| Self-education | Courses directly related to your current job |
| Donations | Gifts to registered Deductible Gift Recipients (DGRs) |
| Tax agent fees | Cost of managing your tax affairs from the previous year |
You must have spent the money yourself, not been reimbursed, and the expense must be directly related to earning your income. Keep records — receipts and logs — for all claims.
After You Lodge
Most returns lodged through myTax are processed within 2 weeks, though many are processed much faster. You'll receive a Notice of Assessment via your myGov inbox. If you're owed a refund, it will be deposited directly to the bank account you nominated.
If you owe tax, the Notice of Assessment will include a due date for payment — you can pay via BPAY, credit card, or at Australia Post using a payment slip.
When to Use a Tax Agent Instead
myTax suits most straightforward situations. Consider using a registered tax agent if you have complex affairs, such as rental properties, business income, capital gains from share sales, or overseas income. Tax agents also have an extended lodgement deadline beyond 31 October.