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You can lodge your Australian tax return yourself through myTax for free, or pay a registered tax agent to do it. For working holiday makers with one employer, correct 15% withholding all year and no deductions, DIY works fine.
What DIY through myTax involves
myTax is the ATO's free online lodgment tool, accessed through a myGov account linked to the ATO. Your income statements pre-fill automatically from mid-July. For a simple return the form takes under an hour. The catch for working holiday makers is that myTax was designed for residents: the residency questions, the working holiday income item and the Medicare levy section all require answers most backpackers are guessing at.
Where backpackers lose money lodging alone
- Medicare levy exemption skipped - claiming it requires a Medicare Entitlement Statement ordered weeks in advance from Services Australia. Skipping it costs 2% of taxable income - about 500 dollars on 25,000 dollars.
- Residency answered wrong - the most common backpacker error, and a trigger for incorrect assessments or later ATO amendments.
- Deductions left unclaimed - RSA and White Card courses, sun protection for outdoor work, tools, laundry of compulsory uniforms, agent fees from last year.
- Multiple employers not reconciled - over-withholding at a job you left in September is easy to miss without checking every income statement.
- ABN income mishandled - deliveries or farm contracting under an ABN mean business items, potential GST questions and different deductions. See our ABN guides.
What an agent actually does differently
A registered tax agent (check any agent on the TPB register) is legally allowed to charge for tax advice and lodgment, carries professional obligations, and gets extended lodgment deadlines. For working holiday makers specifically, a good agent will confirm your residency position, obtain the Medicare Entitlement Statement, audit withholding across every employer, claim eligible deductions, and lodge correctly even after you have left the country. The fee is tax-deductible in the following year's return.
The honest decision guide
DIY makes sense when: one registered employer all year, TFN provided from day one, no ABN, staying in Australia next year, and you are comfortable with the myTax questions.
An agent makes sense when: any period at 45% withholding, more than two employers, farm or unregistered-employer work, claiming the Medicare levy exemption, ABN income, leaving Australia before or during tax season, or a refund large enough that getting it wrong hurts.
The middle path: DIY with a safety check
A hybrid many backpackers miss: prepare your own numbers, then buy one hour of agent review before lodging - most agents offer exactly this at a fraction of full-service fees. The review catches the classic four (residency answer, Medicare exemption, missed employers, over-withholding) while you keep the DIY price advantage. When does full service clearly win anyway? Any year involving departure from Australia mid-year, ABN income alongside employment, or reconstructing records from a cash-heavy season - those returns have enough moving parts that review-only becomes false economy. And whichever route you take, this year's agent fee is next year's deduction.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a tax agent cost for a working holiday tax return?
Fees vary by provider and complexity. Ours are published transparently on our tax return service page - no percentage-of-refund pricing, which is the model to be wary of.
Is myTax really free?
Yes, completely. If your return is simple and you answer the questions correctly, DIY is a legitimate choice - and this guide exists to help you make it honestly.
Can an agent lodge for me after I leave Australia?
Yes - remote lodgment is standard, including retrieving your income statements and organising your superannuation claim at the same time.
Get in touch with our team if you want a quick opinion on whether your return is a DIY case - we will tell you straight either way.