Lodging an Australian tax return as a working holiday maker is a requirement if you earned income in Australia during the financial year. The financial year runs from 1 July to 30 June and the deadline to lodge your return is 31 October. If you use a registered tax agent, you may qualify for a later deadline.
What you need before you start
You will need your Tax File Number, your income statements from all employers you worked for during the year, and the details of an Australian bank account for any refund. Your income statements are made available by employers through the ATO system and can be accessed through myGov. If you do not have a myGov account, you will need to set one up and link it to the ATO.
If you have already left Australia, you can still access myGov online from overseas. All you need is your TFN and your login credentials.
The three ways to lodge
The first option is to lodge yourself through myGov. Once you have linked your ATO account, you can access the myTax lodgment tool, which pre-fills a lot of your information from your employer's reports. You review the pre-filled data, make any corrections, and submit.
The second option is to use a registered tax agent. A tax agent handles the preparation and lodgment on your behalf, which is particularly useful if you had multiple employers, worked as both an employee and a contractor, or are not sure whether your income has been reported correctly. Using an agent also comes with an extended lodgment deadline.
The third option is to use an online tax service that connects directly to the ATO on your behalf, which is similar to using a tax agent but often faster.
What happens after you lodge
The ATO processes your return and calculates whether the tax withheld from your wages throughout the year matches your actual tax liability. If more was withheld than you owed, the difference is refunded to your nominated Australian bank account, usually within two weeks of lodgment. If you owe more than was withheld, you will receive a notice with a payment deadline.
What if you worked for multiple employers
If you worked for more than one employer during the year, all of their income reports will appear in your myGov account once they have been submitted. Make sure you review all of them carefully for accuracy before lodging, and include all income sources in your return.
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