{"id":105780,"date":"2025-09-10T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/?p=105780"},"modified":"2025-09-09T18:57:45","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T08:57:45","slug":"tax-returns-ato-average-refund-hits-2639","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/tax-returns-ato-average-refund-hits-2639\/","title":{"rendered":"More Than 6 Million Tax Returns Lodged With ATO as Average Refund Hits $2,639"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Since July 1, more than 6.1 million tax returns have been lodged with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), triggering 4.5 million refunds to taxpayers across the country. The total amount refunded has reached $12 billion, with an average of $2,639 returned to each eligible filer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to data cited by Yahoo Finance<\/a><\/em>, the current filing period has highlighted a wide range of outcomes, from substantial refunds to lower-than-expected returns and emerging tax debts. The early figures released by the ATO reveal general trends but don\u2019t yet provide a complete picture of the 2024\u201325 season or its broader financial impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some Taxpayers Face Debts as Others Cash In<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tax Invest Accounting<\/em> director Belinda Raso described this tax season as a clear case of the \u201chaves and have-nots.\u201d She noted that while many clients were pleased with their returns, a significant portion either received very modest refunds or were hit with tax debts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tax time isn\u2019t just June and July – aso told Yahoo Finance<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Your result for your tax is going to be dependent on what you are doing now. September and October<\/strong> are very important times when it comes to what happens next year.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Confusion Over $1,000 Deduction and Limited Refund Impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Raso said she\u2019s seen a growing number of clients mistakenly believe they\u2019ll receive a larger refund next year thanks to the government\u2019s proposed $1,000 instant tax deduction<\/a> for work-related expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Clients are assuming they\u2019ll get a better refund because of that $1,000 deduction, but that\u2019s not how it works – she said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The policy \u2014 which won\u2019t take effect until July 1, 2026<\/strong> \u2014 is also often misunderstood in terms of its actual benefit. For those earning between $45,000 and $135,000<\/strong>, the deduction would result in a refund of approximately $320<\/strong>, not the full $1,000. And while many anticipate a streamlined process, the government hasn\u2019t confirmed details of the deduction yet<\/strong>, leaving uncertainty about eligibility and requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Australian Dollar Bills. Credit: Canva<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As Raso put it, \u201cThere\u2019s no such thing as a free lunch,\u201d emphasizing that even under simplified schemes, evidence will still be required to substantiate claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Take Control of Next Year\u2019s Tax Return<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For Australians who found themselves below the national average of $2,639<\/strong>, Raso laid out several immediate actions<\/strong> that could help improve outcomes for the 2025\u201326 tax return<\/strong> <\/a>season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Log Vehicle Use Now \u2014 Not Later<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Raso recommends starting a motor vehicle logbook right away if you use your car for work purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The best time to get a logbook going is right now because you want to have a full 12-week period without any holidays \u2014 and we\u2019ve got Christmas around the corner – she said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Without this uninterrupted record, claims using the logbook method may not hold up under ATO review<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Work-From-Home Hours Must Be Documented<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many taxpayers working from home are relying on the shortcut method, assuming they\u2019ll get a flat 70 cents per hour claimed easily. But without the right documentation, those claims are being rejected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We\u2019re seeing people getting knocked back to even claim 70 cents per hour<\/strong> because they don\u2019t have that record going – Raso warned.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

She advises tracking both the fixed-rate<\/a> and actual cost methods to determine which delivers the best result. That includes keeping a record of electricity, internet, stationery, and even having a designated workstation at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Purchase Work Items Over $300 Before It\u2019s Too Late<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you’re considering buying work-related equipment, timing your purchase can impact your ATO deduction. Items over $300 must be depreciated over their effective life, and that starts from the purchase date \u2014 not when the item is used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It goes by the date when you purchase it – Raso explained. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

She provided a breakdown:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Laptops and iPads<\/strong>: 2-year effective life<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Mobile phones<\/strong>: 2 years<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Desktops<\/strong>: 4 years<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re looking to maximize deductions this season, she says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    Look at it now, rather than looking at it three or four days before June 30.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    4. Never Throw Out Receipts \u2014 Even for Small Things<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Keeping receipts may sound tedious, but Raso insists it\u2019s one of the easiest ways to protect your tax return<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    We would never throw out a receipt if we think we\u2019re going to have to return something – she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You need to have that same mindset when it comes to any purchases for work.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    Her practical tip: take a photo of each receipt and save it in a phone folder labeled \u2018Tax 2026\u2019<\/strong>. Even if you’re unsure whether the item is claimable, it’s best to let your tax agent decide next year<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Australians receiving below-average tax returns or unexpected debts this year may improve their outcome next season by acting early, according to ATO guidance and expert advice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":105781,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-105780","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105780","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105780"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105780\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105784,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105780\/revisions\/105784"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/105781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105780"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105780"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}