The 2025-26 financial year ended on 30 June 2026, so tax return season is here. Whether you do it yourself in myTax or use an agent, a little prep can be the difference between a tidy refund and leaving money on the table. Here is what you need to know for the 2026 return.
Key dates for the 2026 tax return
- From 1 July 2026 you can lodge your 2025-26 return.
- Wait until late July before you lodge. Employers, banks, health funds and share registries report your data to the ATO through July, and once it pre-fills your return there is far less to type and far less chance of an error that delays your refund.
- 31 October 2026 is the deadline to lodge yourself.
- If you use a registered tax agent, you usually get a later deadline, but you generally need to be on their books before 31 October.
- Online returns are typically processed in about two weeks.
What's new this year
The 2025-26 tax rates are the same as 2024-25 (the revised Stage 3 cuts that started on 1 July 2024). The lowest rate stays at 16%, and the next legislated cut to 15% does not arrive until 1 July 2026. You can see how your pay translates to tax with the Salary Tax Calculator, and how the brackets shift over coming years on the tax cuts page.
Before you lodge, it is worth a quick estimate of where you stand with the Tax Refund Estimator so there are no surprises.
Deductions people most often miss
To claim a work-related deduction the rule is simple: you spent the money, it relates to earning your income, you were not reimbursed, and you have a record. The ones people forget:
- Working from home. If you worked from home at all, the 70c-per-hour fixed rate method can add up fast over a year. See Work From Home Tax Deductions and the WFH calculator.
- Car for work. Trips between worksites or to clients (not your normal commute) are deductible. Compare the two methods with the Car Expense Calculator.
- Self-education directly related to your current job.
- Tools, equipment and union or professional fees.
- Donations of $2 or more to a registered charity.
- Income protection insurance premiums (outside super).
- The cost of managing your tax affairs — including last year's agent fee.
How to actually maximise your refund (without crossing the line)
- Claim everything you are entitled to, and nothing you are not. The ATO data-matches hard. A claim you cannot back up with a record is not worth the audit.
- Keep records. A receipt, a bank statement or a logbook turns a "maybe" into a clean claim.
- Bring forward deductible spending before 30 June where it makes sense (next year's tip).
- Check your private health cover. If your income is over the threshold and you have no hospital cover, the Medicare levy surcharge applies — often more than a basic policy would have cost. Check with the Medicare Levy Surcharge Calculator.
- Consider a deductible super contribution. A personal concessional contribution can lower your taxable income — see the Salary Sacrifice Super Calculator.