Tax time is in full swing, and most of the questions we are getting this week boil down to the same thing: what is different about this return? Here are the five things worth knowing before you hit lodge.
1. Let the prefill land first
Employers had until 14 July to finalise Single Touch Payroll data, and banks, health funds and share registries feed their data through across July. Lodging in the first week of July often means missing prefill and fixing mistakes later. By late July most prefill is in, which is exactly where we are now.
2. Working from home is 70 cents an hour
The fixed rate for working from home deductions is 70 cents per hour for 2025-26. That rate already covers your phone, internet and electricity, so you cannot claim those again on top. The catch is the record keeping, which we will cover in more detail later this week: the ATO expects a record of your actual hours across the whole year, not an estimate.
3. The ATO has named its watch list
Work related expenses, rental property claims and income that never makes it onto the return, including cash and platform income, are the perennial focus areas again this year. If a claim cannot be backed by a record, treat it as a claim you do not have.
4. Check your super showed up
The super guarantee rate has been 12 per cent since 1 July 2025. While you are in myGov, check that your employer contributions for the year actually arrived in your fund. With payday super now live for 2026-27, this is a good habit to build.
5. Next year's sweeteners are not in this return
The cut in the lowest tax rate from 16 to 15 per cent and the $1,000 instant work related deduction both apply from 1 July 2026. They will show up in the return you lodge next year, not this one, so do not go looking for them now.
If your affairs are simple, lodge when your prefill is complete. If they are not, a registered tax agent buys you accuracy and, in most cases, a later lodgment deadline.