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The Australian financial year runs from 1 July to 30 June, not the calendar year. As a working holiday maker, you are required to lodge a tax return for any financial year in which you earned income in Australia.
What does the financial year mean for you?
All income earned between 1 July and 30 June is assessed as one financial year's worth of earnings:
- Arrived in Australia in October 2024 and worked through April 2025? All that income falls in the 2024-25 financial year (1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025).
- Started work in March 2024? Your income from March to June 2024 falls in the 2023-24 financial year. Income from July 2024 onwards falls in the next year.
At year-end, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) calculates your actual tax liability and compares it to what your employer withheld:
- More was withheld than owed = refund paid to your account
- Less was withheld than owed = you pay the difference
When is the tax return deadline?
The standard deadline is 31 October following the end of the financial year:
- 2024-25 financial year (ends 30 June 2025) → deadline 31 October 2025
- 2025-26 financial year (ends 30 June 2026) → deadline 31 October 2026
If we lodge your return as your registered tax agent, you qualify for an extended deadline, often until May the following year. This gives you breathing room if you missed October or your records are not yet complete.
What if you left Australia before 30 June?
You can still lodge a tax return after leaving Australia. The process works exactly the same:
- The return can be lodged electronically from anywhere in the world
- Our team handles the entire process remotely on your behalf
- The refund is paid to your Australian bank account
- Keep your Australian bank account open until the refund clears
What do you need to lodge your tax return?
To lodge your return, our team needs:
- Your Tax File Number (TFN)
- Income details from each employer you worked for
- Bank account details for the refund (Australian bank account)
- Any work-related expenses you want to claim as deductions
- Your passport details for identification
We can access your income statements directly through our tax agent portal, so you do not need to collect payslips from each employer yourself. See our article on lodging a tax return from overseas for more detail on what we need.