Calculators

Do I Need to Lodge a Tax Return?

Check Whether You Need to Lodge

Not everyone is required to lodge an income tax return every year. Answer a few questions about your income and circumstances to see whether you may need to lodge for the relevant financial year.

Your result

Answer the questions and your result shows here.

How this is worked out

When a return is needed, 2025-26
Who	A return is needed with
Resident for the full year	Taxable income over $18,200
Resident for part of the year	Taxable income over $13,464 plus $4,736 for each month as a resident divided by 12, that part rounded up to the dollar
Under 18, income not only from wages	Taxable income over $416
Foreign resident	Any Australian taxable income without final withholding tax
On a taxable government allowance, with other income	Taxable income over $22,575
Seniors and pensioners, single, widowed or separated	Rebate income over $34,919
Seniors and pensioners, living apart through illness	Rebate income over $33,732
Seniors and pensioners, living with a spouse	Rebate income over $30,994
Foreign resident with a study loan	Repayment and foreign income over $16,750
Working holiday maker	Australian income of $45,001 or more
Parent under a child support assessment, on a government payment all year	Income and payments of $31,047 or more

Whatever the income, a return is also needed when tax was withheld from income you earned, you paid PAYG instalments, or any of the events the questions list applied to you.

The ATO's lodgement rules for the year (opens in a new tab)

What this calculator doesn't cover

Whether you were an Australian resident for tax purposes, which the ATO's residency tool can help with
Working out your taxable income or rebate income: the questions ask only whether it went over the limit
Years the ATO hasn't published its lodgement rules for yet

Please note

This calculator gives an estimate for general information only, using the rates the ATO publishes for the year shown. It is not tax advice, and it is not provided or endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office.

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Prefer the ATO's own tool? Open it on the ATO website (opens in a new tab)

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