EOFY Tax Prep Checklist (Australia 2025-26)
A practical end-of-financial-year checklist for Australian individuals. Pick your occupation cluster to get tailored deduction prompts, enter dollar amounts to see your estimated tax saving, and tick off pre-30-June actions before the window closes. Progress persists in the URL, so you can bookmark or share it.
How to use this checklist
- Pick your occupation cluster — adds job-specific deductions and traps.
- Tick documents as you gather them from employers, banks, brokers, and agents.
- Enter dollar amounts for each deduction you plan to claim. The tax-saving estimate uses your marginal rate plus Medicare.
- Work through the pre-30-June actions — many have cut-offs tied to when your super fund or lender receives money.
- Share the URL with your spouse or bookkeeper. Everything except dollar inputs is safe to share.
When to lodge — timing matters
The ATO opens lodgement from 1 July, but returns lodged in the first week of July have by far the highest amendment rate. The typical culprits are late pre-fill from banks and ETF AMMA statements that aren't issued until August or September.
- Mid-July onwards: employer income statements finalised (14 July).
- Late July: most bank and broker pre-fill ready.
- August–September: managed-fund and ETF AMMA tax statements.
- Mid-August to mid-September: sweet spot for most people.
- 31 October 2026: hard deadline for self-lodgers.
- 15 May 2027: extended deadline via a registered tax agent (if signed up before 31 October).
Popular deduction methods at a glance
Work from home
- Fixed rate (70c/hr): easiest, covers electricity + phone + internet + stationery. Requires hour records.
- Actual-cost method: more detail, potentially bigger claim. Itemise electricity, internet, consumables with work-use %.
Motor vehicle
- Cents per km: up to 5,000 work km × 88c/km = max $4,400 per car.
- Logbook method: 12-week representative log, any work-use %, deduct running costs + depreciation. Logbook valid 5 years.
Tools, equipment and devices
- Items under $300 each — fully deductible in the year of purchase.
- Items $300 or more — depreciate over the effective life (or pool items under $1,000 into a low-value pool at 18.75%/37.5%).
Related calculators
- Tax Refund Estimator — quick refund/owing estimate after deductions.
- Income Tax Calculator — full 2025-26 tax + Medicare breakdown.
- Work From Home Calculator — compare fixed-rate and actual-cost methods.
- Depreciation Calculator — tools and devices over $300.
- Super Contribution Optimizer — hit the concessional cap with carry-forward.
- Crypto CGT Calculator — dispose of losers before 30 June.
Frequently asked questions
When should I lodge my 2025-26 tax return?
The ATO opens lodgement from 1 July, but early-lodgers have a 2-3× higher amendment rate. Employer income statements are usually finalised by 14 July, and ETF/managed-fund AMMA tax statements often don't arrive until August or September. For most people, mid-August to mid-September is the sweet spot — the ATO pre-fill is complete and you still lodge well inside the 31 October self-lodge deadline.
What's the deadline for a deductible super contribution?
Your super fund must receive the money on or before 30 June — not just when you send it. BPAY and direct-debit clearance can take 3-5 business days, so practically you want to transfer by around 22 June. You must also send a valid Notice of Intent to Claim or Vary a Deduction to your fund and get their acknowledgement before you lodge your return.
What is the work from home fixed-rate method for 2025-26?
The ATO's revised fixed rate is 70c per hour worked from home. It covers electricity, gas, phone, internet, stationery and computer consumables — so if you use the fixed rate you can't also claim these separately. You need a record of the actual hours worked for the whole year (a timesheet, diary, or roster will do). You can still separately depreciate a work-use % of your computer, desk, and monitor.
Which occupation-specific deductions actually hold up at audit?
Items that are clearly connected to earning your current income and have a paper trail. For tradies: tools and safety gear. For healthcare: registration fees, CPD, and compulsory uniforms. For office / tech workers: home office running costs, work-use % of devices, and job-specific short courses. The ATO specifically publishes occupation guides that mirror our cluster list; when in doubt, check the guide for your occupation and keep receipts.
What are the most common mistakes on Australian tax returns?
Double-dipping (claiming WFH fixed rate and separate phone/internet), claiming travel between home and a regular workplace, overstating business-use % of vehicles and phones, claiming tools above $300 in full in year one (they must be depreciated), and omitting crypto disposals. The ATO data-matches banks, brokers, employers, health funds, and every major Australian crypto exchange — expect anything missing to turn up as a pre-fill or an amendment letter.
Is tax-loss harvesting allowed in Australia?
Yes. You can crystallise a capital loss by selling an investment before 30 June, use it to offset current-year capital gains first, then carry unused losses forward indefinitely. The ATO does apply a general anti-avoidance rule (Part IVA) and Taxation Ruling TR 2008/1 to wash sales — selling and immediately re-buying the same asset to manufacture a deductible loss. A genuine change in holding, or a gap, reduces this risk.
Tax Accuracy & Sources
General educational tool. Tax-saving estimate uses your marginal rate × Medicare levy and ignores offsets (LITO, spouse), HELP, PHI, MLS, and Division 293. Pre-EOFY actions have cut-offs set by your fund, lender, or the ATO — confirm before relying on this page. Not personal tax advice.