A tax return is only as good as the information that goes into it. Gather the items below before you lodge (or before you send them to us) and your return will be faster, more accurate and far more likely to include every deduction you are entitled to.

Short on time? Most of your income details are already in myGov. Check that your income statement is marked tax ready, then focus on the deductions section below, which is where most people leave money on the table.

1. Your personal details

  • Tax file number (TFN)
  • Bank account details (BSB and account number) for your refund
  • Your myGov login, linked to the ATO
  • Last year's notice of assessment, if you have it
  • Spouse details and taxable income, if you had a spouse during the year
  • Details of any dependants

2. Income

You need to declare all of your income, not just your salary. Check each of these:

  • Employment income: your income statement from myGov (or payment summaries from each employer). Make sure every job you had during the year appears and is marked tax ready.
  • Government payments: JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Age Pension, parental leave pay and other Centrelink payments.
  • Bank interest: from every account, including joint and offset accounts.
  • Dividends: dividend statements showing franking credits.
  • Managed funds and ETFs: the annual tax statement from each fund (these often arrive in August or September).
  • Shares, crypto or property you sold: purchase and sale dates and amounts, plus costs such as brokerage, so we can work out any capital gain or loss.
  • Rental property: rental income statements from your agent, plus the expenses listed in section 4.
  • ABN or side-hustle income: invoices, sales records and business expenses.
  • Foreign income: overseas employment, pensions, interest or rent.
  • Super income streams or lump sums: the statement from your super fund.

3. Work-related deductions

To claim a work-related deduction, you must have spent the money yourself and not been reimbursed, the expense must relate directly to earning your income, and you need a record to prove it. Gather receipts and invoices for:

  • Car expenses for work travel (not your normal trip to and from work). Bring your logbook, or a record of the kilometres travelled for work.
  • Working from home: a record of the hours you worked from home and your running expenses. See our guide to work-from-home deductions.
  • Tools, equipment and computers used for work. Items over $300 are usually claimed over several years.
  • Compulsory, protective or occupation-specific uniforms, and the cost of cleaning them
  • Union fees and professional memberships
  • Self-education and courses directly connected to your current job
  • Work-related phone and internet use
  • Licences and certificates required for your job (but not a standard driver's licence)

4. Other deductions and investment costs

  • Donations of $2 or more to registered charities (deductible gift recipients). Keep the receipts.
  • The cost of managing your tax affairs, including last year's tax agent fee
  • Income protection insurance premiums paid outside super
  • Investment costs: interest on loans used to buy shares, and investment advice fees
  • Rental property expenses: loan interest, council rates, water, insurance, strata fees, repairs, property management fees, and a depreciation schedule if you have one

5. Offsets, health and HELP

  • Private health insurance: your policy details. Insurers report this to the ATO and it usually appears in your pre-filled data, but check it's there.
  • HELP / HECS or other study loans: repayments are calculated from your return, so we need to know about them.
  • Medicare levy exemption details, if they apply to you

How long to keep your records

Keep your receipts and records for five years from the date you lodge your return. Photos or scans are fine as long as they are clear and complete. The ATO's myDeductions tool in the ATO app is a simple way to capture receipts throughout the year.

Missing something? Don't let one missing statement stop you lodging. We can often get the information from your pre-filled data, or lodge now and amend later if needed. If you are already past the deadline, read what happens if you lodge late.

Ready to lodge?

Once you've worked through this checklist, you're ready. Simple salary and wage returns start from $109 with same-day lodgement. For anything more involved, such as rental properties, shares or ABN income, see our individual tax return service or book a free 15-minute call.