ato logo
Search Suggestion:

What’s new this year 2019?

A list of new initiatives incorporated in this year's Individual tax return instructions.

Last updated 29 May 2019

The way you get your payment summary information is changing

If your employer has started using Single Touch Payroll (STP), your payment summary information is called an 'income statement' in myGov. This is now the equivalent of your payment summary (some people may still refer to it as a group certificate).

Your employer is not obliged to give you an end-of-year payment summary for the information they report through STP (the law has changed).

Your payment summary information will now be available in myGov. We will send a notification to your myGov inbox when your income statement is ‘tax ready’ so you, or your tax agent, can complete your tax return. You can contact us for a copy of your income statement.

You can continue to lodge your tax return as you do now.

See also:

Private health insurance statements

The law has changed regarding the way registered health insurers provide you with your private health insurance details.

It is now optional for insurers to provide you with a private health insurance statement. Health insurers will provide a statement only if you request one.

If you are lodging your tax return online, and your private health insurance details have been pre-filled by us, you may not need a statement.

If you are lodging a paper tax return, or lodging online with myTax and your health insurance details have not been pre-filled by us, you will need to contact your health insurer for your statement information to ensure you use the correct details when completing your tax return.

See also:

First home super saver (FHSS) scheme

If you requested a release of an amount under the FHSS scheme during 2018–19, you must include in your 2019 tax return:

  • any such FHSS amount
  • the tax withheld amount.

You will receive a payment summary from the ATO showing the assessable FHSS amount and tax withheld.

If you requested the release of an FHSS amount during 2018–19, you must include the amount in your 2019 tax return, even if you did not receive the amount until after 30 June 2019.

If you are lodging your tax return online, we will pre-fill your assessable FHSS release amount and tax withheld.

See also:

Low and middle income tax offset

You may be eligible for an income tax offset if:

  • you are an Australian resident for income tax purposes, and
  • your taxable income is in the appropriate income range.

The offset does not reduce your Medicare levy, but it reduces the amount of tax you pay, even down to zero.

You do not need to claim this offset anywhere on your tax return. We will work it out for you.

See also:

QC57927