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Before you prepare your tax return

Find out what's new or is changing this income year and work out if you need to lodge a tax return.

Last updated 20 June 2024

Reasons you need to lodge

Each income year you need to assess your personal circumstances to work out if you need to lodge a tax return. Reasons you need to lodge a tax return may include if you:

  • had any tax taken out (withheld) from income you receive
  • had $1 or more of foreign income
  • pay or receive child support
  • had business or investment income
  • are leaving Australia and have a study or training support loan.

Information you need to lodge

Before you lodge, find out what's new for individuals this tax time.

To lodge your tax return, we recommend you have all of the following information available. You will need your:

  • bank account details (BSB and account number)
  • income statement or payment summaries from all of your employers
  • payment summaries from Centrelink (Services Australia)
  • receipts or statements for the expenses you are claiming as deductions
  • your spouse's income (if you have one)
  • private health insurance information (if you have cover).

If you lodge your tax return online using myTax, we will pre-fill most of this information for you. To lodge online you will need to link the ATO to your myGov account.

Before you complete your tax return for 2023–24, find out what's new and any changes that may affect you.

Use our Do I need to lodge a tax return? tool to check if you need to lodge a tax return.

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