How to Survive Your First Tax Return
Your first tax return is about an hour of admin wearing a costume designed to frighten you. Most first returns are almost entirely pre-filled, most people are getting money back rather than paying it, and the process is a series of screens in myGov.
The genuine risks are small and specific: lodging too early, inventing deductions, and missing the deadline. That is the whole list.
The 10-minute version
- Wait until late July. Employers, banks and Centrelink report your data to the ATO through July, and most of it is pre-filled by late in the month. Lodging on 2 July means typing everything by hand and probably getting something wrong.
- The deadline is 31 October if you lodge yourself. Miss it and penalties can apply.
- The $300 rule is not free money. If your total work-related expense claim is $300 or less you do not need receipts — but you still need to be able to show how you worked the claim out, and every expense must be genuine and work-related.
What you need before you start
- myGov account linked to the ATO. If you have not linked it, do that first; it needs identity details and takes a few minutes.
- Your tax file number.
- Bank account details for the refund — BSB and account number.
- Your income statement from each employer. These come through the ATO rather than as a paper payment summary, and appear as “tax ready” once your employer finalises them.
- Any private health insurance details, if you have cover.
- Records of anything you intend to claim.
You generally do not need to chase your employer for anything. If an income statement is not marked “tax ready” by late July, ask them — but wait first.
The sequence
- Log into myGov and go to the ATO section.
- Start your return and check your personal details and bank account.
- Check the pre-filled income. Every job, plus bank interest, plus Centrelink payments if you received any. If a job is missing, stop and wait — do not add it manually unless it is still missing late in the season.
- Add deductions, if you actually have any (see below).
- Answer the private health and Medicare questions.
- Read the estimate. It will show a refund or an amount owing.
- Lodge. Most refunds arrive within about two weeks.
If your situation is simple — one or two jobs, no investments, no business income — that is the entire process.
What a first-jobber can actually claim
The rule is simple and unforgiving: the expense must be directly related to earning your income, you must have paid for it yourself and not been reimbursed, and you must have records.
Commonly legitimate:
- Tools and equipment you had to buy for the job
- Protective clothing and compulsory uniforms — a branded uniform, hi-vis, steel-capped boots
- Work-specific training directly related to your current job
- Union or professional association fees
- Travel between two workplaces on the same day
- Some phone and internet use, apportioned to actual work use, with a basis for the percentage
Commonly claimed and generally not allowed:
- Getting to and from your normal workplace. Ordinary home-to-work commuting is not deductible
- Plain clothes you wear to work, however strict the dress code
- Grooming, haircuts, make-up for a customer-facing job
- Lunch during a normal shift
- Anything your employer paid for or reimbursed
The $300 rule, correctly
If your total work-related expense claim is $300 or less, you do not need written evidence such as receipts. What you do still need is a way to show how you worked out the claim — a note, a calendar entry, a spreadsheet.
It is not a $300 allowance. You cannot claim $300 of expenses you did not incur, and “everyone claims it” is not a defence. Above $300, you need receipts or other evidence for the claims.
What actually goes wrong
Lodging in the first week of July. Pre-fill is incomplete, you type things manually, and mistakes trigger amendments — which take far longer than waiting would have.
Inventing the $300. The most common first-return error, and it is the ATO’s most predictable audit trigger because everyone does the same thing.
Claiming the commute. Home to work is not deductible. It feels like it should be. It is not.
Missing 31 October. If you are lodging yourself, this is the date. If you use a registered tax agent, later dates can apply — but you generally need to be on their books before 31 October to get the extension.
Not declaring a job you forgot about. A three-week casual job in September still reported your income. The ATO already has it, and undeclared income is the fastest way to a discrepancy notice.
Not lodging at all because “I didn’t earn much”. If tax was withheld from your pay, not lodging usually means not collecting a refund you are owed. And if you are not required to lodge, you may still need to submit a non-lodgement advice.
Keeping no records at all year. Then reconstructing badly in October.
Thresholds and dates
| Item | The number |
|---|---|
| Financial year | 1 July to 30 June |
| Pre-fill mostly available | Late July |
| Deadline if lodging yourself | 31 October |
| Using a tax agent | Later deadlines can apply — be on their books before 31 October |
| Work-related claims without receipts | $300 or less total, but you must still show how you worked it out |
| Record-keeping | Keep records for 5 years from lodgement |
| Typical refund timing | About 2 weeks for online lodgement |
Building the habit that makes next year easy
Ten minutes of setup now removes the entire October scramble.
- One folder in your phone’s photo app called “tax”. Photograph every work-related receipt the moment you get it. That is the whole system.
- One note for the logbook-style items — work trips between sites, the basis of your phone-use percentage.
- A calendar reminder for late July that says “check pre-fill, lodge tax return”.
- Keep your income statements where you can find them.
Nothing here is sophisticated. It just needs to exist before you need it.
The Australian specifics
- Tax-free threshold. Claim it on the TFN declaration for your main job. If you have two jobs and claim it twice, you will likely owe money at the end of the year.
- HECS-HELP. Compulsory repayments start once your income passes the repayment threshold and are collected through your tax. Tell your employer you have a HELP debt so withholding is right, or you may get a bill.
- Medicare levy applies to most taxpayers above a low-income threshold, and the Medicare levy surcharge can apply to higher earners without private hospital cover.
- Super is not in your tax return as income — it goes to your fund, not your pocket.
- Registered tax agents only. If you pay someone to do your return, check they are on the Tax Practitioners Board register. Unregistered “tax help” is a real problem and you carry the liability.
- Tax Help is a free ATO-supported volunteer service for people on lower incomes, running from July to October. It exists, it is legitimate, and it is under-used.
What it costs
| Tier | Spend | What it buys |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | myGov and myTax, pre-filled data, the ATO’s own deduction guides, Tax Help if you are eligible |
| Solid | $0 | A photo folder for receipts and a calendar reminder. Genuinely the whole system for a simple return |
| If it is complicated | $100–300 | A registered tax agent, worth it once you have investments, multiple income sources, a business, or a return you do not understand. The fee is itself deductible next year |
The drill: the late-July hour
- Ten minutes. Log into myGov, confirm it is linked to the ATO, and check your bank details are current.
- Ten minutes. Check every income statement is marked “tax ready” and that every job you worked appears.
- Fifteen minutes. Go through your receipts folder. Total the genuine work-related expenses. If it is under $300, write down how you calculated it.
- Fifteen minutes. Work through the return. Check the pre-filled figures against your own records rather than assuming.
- Five minutes. Read the estimate, then lodge.
- Five minutes. Set next year’s late-July reminder and start the receipts folder for the new financial year.
Frequently asked questions
When is the tax return deadline in Australia?
31 October if you lodge your own return. Later deadlines can apply if you use a registered tax agent, but you generally need to be on their books before 31 October.
Should I lodge as soon as the financial year ends?
No. Wait until late July, when employer, bank and Centrelink data has been pre-filled. Lodging on 1 or 2 July means entering everything manually, and errors lead to amendments.
Can I claim $300 without receipts?
You do not need written evidence if your total work-related claim is $300 or less — but the expenses must be genuine and you must still be able to show how you worked the amount out. It is not a standard allowance to add.
Can I claim the cost of getting to work?
Generally no. Ordinary travel between home and your regular workplace is not deductible. Travel between two workplaces on the same day usually is.
What if I only worked a few weeks?
Lodge anyway if tax was withheld — that is usually a refund you are owed. If you are genuinely not required to lodge, you may still need to submit a non-lodgement advice so the ATO is not waiting on you.
Do I need an accountant for my first return?
Usually not. One or two jobs with no investments is a straightforward myTax return. Consider a registered tax agent once you have investments, business income, or anything you do not understand — and check their registration on the Tax Practitioners Board register.