Jira & Confluence 
Bitrix24 Tax time 2025–26 · ATO rates · lodge by 2 November
Tax return checklist 2026 — everything to gather, your work-from-home hours and an estimate of your refund
Short answer. Tick off your income and deductions, add up the hours you worked from home and see your estimated refund or bill with the ATO's 2025–26 rates. Lodge yourself: by 31 October; in 2026 by 11:59 pm Monday 2 November (ATO — Preparing your tax return; media release 19 October 2026).
- Gather payslips, statements and receipts — a week beforetype the date
- Check your income statement says 'Tax ready' — 2 days beforetype the date
Check your own case.
Reminders, not ATO rules. The ATO due date for self-preparers is 31 October; in 2026 it moves to 11:59 pm Monday 2 November because 31 October is a Saturday.
Start typing right in the document — no sign-up. It stays in this browser; save it to your free Layers account to keep it, open it on your phone and share it.
Refund estimate 2025–26
Your tax refund or bill for 2025–26 — with the ATO's rates, LITO and the Medicare levy
Your income, the hours you worked from home, other deductions and the tax your employers withheld. You see taxable income, the tax for the year and the estimated refund — and an Excel file with the full checklist and a weekly hours log.
- Lodge in myTax by 11:59 pm Monday 2 November 2026, or be on a registered tax agent's list before 31 October.
- Keep the work-from-home hours log: the ATO asks for a record of all the hours, not an estimate.
- Owe tax? Lodge anyway — the bill is due 21 November if you lodged yourself on time.
Arithmetic with the ATO's published figures for 2025–26: resident tax rates, low income tax offset, Medicare levy 2% with the reduction for single low-income earners (lower threshold $28,011), working from home 70c an hour. Leaves out the private health insurance rebate, HELP repayments, the Medicare levy surcharge and family thresholds. An estimate, not tax advice.
Lida, Layers template assistant
I'll show you what to gather and roughly what your refund will be.
Enter your income and the hours you worked from home.
Deadlines
The rules, with the source
| What | Deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Lodge yourself | By 31 October; in 2026 by 11:59 pm Monday 2 November | ATO — Preparing your tax return; media release 19 October 2026 |
| With a tax agent | Be on a registered agent's client list before 31 October | ATO — Preparing your tax return |
| Tax bill | Due 21 November if you lodged yourself on time | ATO — Preparing your tax return |
| Working from home | 70 cents for each hour worked at home (2024–25 and 2025–26), with a record of all hours | ATO — Fixed rate method |
| Tax rates 2025–26 | Nil to $18,200; 16c to $45,000; $4,288 + 30c to $135,000; $31,288 + 37c to $190,000; $51,638 + 45c above | ATO — Tax rates – Australian resident |
| Low income tax offset | $700 up to $37,500, phasing out to nil at $66,667 | ATO — Low income tax offset |
Federal rules, the same in every state and territory. The estimate adds the Medicare levy (2%, reduced for single low-income earners) and leaves out the private health rebate, HELP repayments and other offsets.
Step by step
What to do, in order
1
Gather your records
Income statement in myGov, bank interest, Centrelink, receipts and your work-from-home log.
2
Estimate your refund
Enter income, hours at home, other deductions and tax withheld.
3
Lodge on time
myTax by Monday 2 November 2026, or book a registered tax agent before 31 October.
Questions
When is the 2026 tax return due?
If you lodge yourself, by 31 October. Because 31 October 2026 is a Saturday, the ATO says self-preparers have until 11:59 pm local time Monday 2 November. With a registered tax agent you need to be on their list before 31 October.
How much can I claim for working from home?
With the fixed rate method, 70 cents for each hour you worked from home in 2025–26. It covers internet, phone, electricity and gas, stationery and ink, so you don't claim those separately. You need a record of all the hours.
Is the refund estimate exact?
No. It uses the ATO's 2025–26 resident rates, the low income tax offset and the Medicare levy, but not the private health insurance rebate, HELP repayments, the Medicare levy surcharge or family thresholds. The ATO's notice of assessment is the real figure.
What if I owe tax?
Lodge anyway. If you lodged yourself on time, the bill is due 21 November; lodging late doesn't move that date, and failure-to-lodge penalties can apply.
Is it free? Do I need to sign up?
It's free and you don't need an account: fill it in and download. With a free account you can save a copy to your Layers and come back to it next year.
Official sources
Other documents
- 52 week savings challenge
- Annual leave loading calculator
- Christmas budget planner
- Bank, lender or insurer won't fix it?
- Family Tax Benefit calculator
- Rental application cover letter
- School holidays 2027
- Storm damage insurance claim
- Super missing from your fund after payday?
- Got a rent increase notice in Victoria?
Keep the papers in one place
Letters, receipts and notices in one folder you can share with family or a lawyer. The templates and the editor are free; Layers is free for up to 20 people.
A checklist and an estimate, not tax advice or a notice of assessment.