How to lodge a tax return in Australia as a working holiday maker

What do you need to lodge a tax return?

To lodge your return through our service, we need:

• Your Tax File Number (TFN)
• Identification (passport details)
• Details of an Australian bank account for any refund
• Any work-related expenses you want to claim as deductions
• Details of any ABN or contractor income (if applicable)

We can access your income statements directly from the ATO system, so you do not need to collect payslips or PAYG summaries from each employer yourself.

How does the lodgment process work?

When you lodge through our service:

1. You send us your details and any deduction receipts you want to claim
2. We pull your income statements from the ATO system
3. We prepare the return and review it for accuracy
4. We confirm the expected refund amount with you before lodging
5. We lodge the return with the ATO on your behalf
6. The ATO processes the return within two weeks and pays the refund to your bank account

You see and approve the figures before we lodge, so there are no surprises.

What happens after you lodge?

After lodgment:

• The ATO processes the return (usually within two weeks)
• They compare what was withheld against what you actually owed
• Refund paid to your nominated Australian bank account
• Or, if you owe money, you receive a notice with a payment deadline

We monitor the lodgment status and let you know when the refund has been issued.

What if you worked for multiple employers?

If you worked for more than one employer during the year, every employer's income must be reported on your return. When we lodge through our tax agent portal:

• We see every employer who reported income for you in the financial year
• We cross-check against any payslips you provide
• We flag any employers who have not yet finalised their reporting
• We wait until everything is finalised before lodging to avoid having to amend later

Self-lodging can miss employers if you forget one, which creates problems when the ATO notices and adjusts your return after the fact. Going through our service avoids that risk entirely.