When can I lodge my 2026 tax return?

You can lodge your 2025-26 return from 1 July 2026, once the financial year closes on 30 June. It is usually best to wait until late July, when your employer, banks and health fund have reported to the ATO and your return is mostly pre-filled. The deadline to lodge yourself is 31 October 2026.

How much will I get back on my 2026 tax return?

Your refund is the tax that was withheld from your pay during the year minus the tax you actually owe once your deductions and offsets are applied. If too much was withheld, you get the difference back. There is no fixed amount — it depends on your income, how much was withheld, and your deductions. The free estimator works out your figure in about two minutes.

What is the average tax refund in Australia?

Average refunds vary year to year and by income, but most salary earners receive somewhere in the low thousands. Your own refund can be well above or below any average, because it is driven by your specific withholding and the deductions you claim — not by a national figure.

Why is my tax refund smaller than previous years?

A common reason is the end of the Low and Middle Income Tax Offset (LMITO), which last applied to the 2021-22 year. Refunds for many people stepped down once it ended, so a smaller refund from 2022-23 onwards is often not a mistake. Changes to your income, withholding, or deductions also move the number.

How long does it take to get my refund in 2026?

Most returns lodged online through myTax are processed within about two weeks, with the refund paid into your nominated bank account. Paper returns take much longer, and returns flagged for review can take additional time.

Can I increase my 2026 tax refund?

You cannot change what happened during 2025-26 after 30 June, but you can make sure you claim every deduction you are genuinely entitled to before you lodge. Work-from-home hours, car kilometres, the work-use share of your phone, union fees and self-education are the most commonly missed. Claiming what you are owed is the main lever on your refund.

Tax Return 2026 Australia: When Can I Lodge and How Much Will I Get Back?

Two questions dominate every June and July: when can I lodge, and how much will I get back? Here is a clear answer to both for the 2025-26 income year, including how your refund is actually worked out and what moves the number up or down.

Quick answer

You can lodge your 2025-26 tax return from 1 July 2026, and most online refunds arrive within about 2 weeks. How much you get back is simply the tax withheld from your pay minus the tax you actually owe after your deductions and offsets — so the more you legitimately claim, the larger your refund. The deadline to lodge yourself is 31 October 2026.

When can you lodge your 2026 tax return?

The 2025-26 financial year closes on 30 June 2026, and lodgement opens on 1 July 2026. The dates that matter:

Lodgement opens: 1 July 2026
Pre-fill usually complete: late July 2026, once employers, banks and health funds have reported to the ATO
Self-lodgement deadline: 31 October 2026
Tax agent deadline: often as late as May 2027, if you are on a registered agent's list before 31 October

It is tempting to lodge on 1 July, but lodging too early — before your income statement is marked "Tax ready" — is one of the most common causes of errors and delays. Waiting until late July means most of your return is pre-filled and correct. For the full step-by-step, see our guide to lodging your return.

How much will you get back? How a refund is actually calculated

A tax refund is not a bonus or a reward — it is simply your own money coming back because too much tax was taken out of your pay during the year. The calculation is:

Tax withheld (PAYG taken from each pay) minus
Tax actually payable on your taxable income, after deductions and offsets

If your employer withheld more than your final bill, the difference is your refund. If they withheld less, you have an amount owing instead. Your deductions lower your taxable income, which lowers the tax payable, which makes the gap — your refund — bigger.

That is why two people on the same salary can get very different refunds: the one who tracked their work-from-home hours, car kilometres and other work costs has a lower taxable income and a larger refund.

What makes your refund bigger or smaller

The main levers on the size of your refund are:

Makes your refund bigger	Makes your refund smaller (or creates a bill)
More tax withheld than needed during the year	Not enough tax withheld (e.g. a second job)
Work-related deductions you can substantiate	Few or no deductions claimed
Offsets you qualify for (e.g. the low income tax offset)	The Medicare levy, or the Medicare levy surcharge
Deductible super contributions or income protection	A HECS/HELP debt repayment falling due
Overpaid PAYG across multiple payers	Untaxed side income added on top of your salary

Worked examples (illustrative)

These simplified examples show how deductions move the refund. They assume a full-year resident with tax withheld at the standard rate and no other income. Your real figures depend on your situation.

$45,000 income, $800 of deductions: the $800 comes off your taxable income, saving tax at your marginal rate — a modest but real boost on top of any over-withholding.
$75,000 income, $2,500 of deductions: at a 30% marginal rate, $2,500 of deductions is worth around $750 back, before any over-withholding.
$100,000 income, $3,500 of deductions: at a 30% marginal rate, that is roughly $1,050 back from the deductions alone.

The pattern is the same at every income: every genuine dollar of deduction returns your marginal tax rate as refund. That is the single biggest thing within your control.

Why some people owe money instead of getting a refund

Not everyone gets a refund. You can end up with a bill if not enough was withheld during the year. The usual causes are:

A second job where you claimed the tax-free threshold twice, so too little was withheld overall
Untaxed side income — gig work, freelancing or investments with no PAYG taken out
The Medicare levy surcharge, if you earned over the threshold without private hospital cover
A HECS/HELP debt that became repayable once your income passed the threshold

None of these are penalties — they just mean your withholding did not quite match your final bill. Knowing in advance lets you avoid a surprise.

How to estimate your 2026 refund now

You do not have to wait until you lodge to know roughly what you will get back. Enter your income and the deductions you expect to claim, and you can see your estimated refund before 1 July — then have the figures ready to type straight into myTax when lodgement opens.

Frequently asked questions

See how much you'll get back in about 2 minutes

Slide your income and deductions in the free estimator and watch your 2025-26 refund update live — no account, no card. Then carry the numbers straight into your return.

Estimate my 2026 refund free

Related guides

This guide is general information only and not personal tax advice. Always confirm with the ATO at ato.gov.au or a registered tax agent before lodging.

All tax guides