All guides

How capital gains tax works for Australian individuals: the 50% discount after 12 months, cost base, losses applied first, exemptions and the rules for foreign residents.

How the extra 15% Division 293 tax on super contributions works above $250,000 of income, a worked example, how to pay it, and the status of the separate Division 296 tax.

How compulsory HELP and other study loan repayments work since the 2025 reform: the $69,528 threshold for 2026–27, marginal bands, repayment income, indexation and the 20% debt cut.

Resident tax brackets for 2025–26 and 2026–27, the cut from 16% to 15% and then 14%, how marginal rates work and what sits on top of the brackets.

How the low income tax offset of up to $700 is calculated, the phase-out between $37,500 and $66,667, why it is non-refundable and how it lifts the effective tax-free threshold.

The 2% Medicare levy, the low-income reduction, exemptions, and how the separate Medicare levy surcharge of 1% to 1.5% works for higher earners without hospital cover.

The concessional cap rises to $32,500 and the non-concessional cap to $130,000 from 1 July 2026. How each cap works, bring-forward thresholds and what counts toward them.

How unused concessional cap amounts carry forward for five years, who qualifies with a balance under $500,000, and a worked example using them against a capital gain.

Compare voluntary HELP repayments with saving, an offset account or super, using after-tax returns, indexation timing around 1 June and the effect on borrowing and cash flow.

Go from gross income to taxable income, tax, offsets, Medicare levy and HELP repayment, then compare with PAYG withheld to see whether you get a refund or owe tax.

How a rental loss reduces tax on your other income, a full 2026–27 worked example with cash and non-cash deductions, and the rules on depreciation, travel and interest.

Worked 2026–27 examples showing the tax saved, the fall in take-home pay and the net gain from salary sacrificing into super at $44,000, $60,000, $85,000 and $150,000.

A step-by-step 2025–26 example with three share sales, a prior-year loss, the 50% discount and the order that minimises tax, plus parcel, DRP and ETF cost base tips.

A practical list of the documents, statements and records an individual needs for a tax return, grouped by income type, deductions, super and health cover, with tips on pre-fill.

Compare the ATO's 70 cents per hour fixed rate with the actual cost method using a worked example, the records each needs and what can still be claimed separately.

How to amend an individual tax return, the two- and four-year review periods, objecting to an ATO decision, review by the Administrative Review Tribunal and where to complain.

What the ATO does when concessional or non-concessional contributions exceed the cap, release options, the 47% excess tax, worked examples and the causes of most excess contributions.

How the ATO's failure-to-lodge penalty is calculated for individuals, the penalty unit value, interest on late payments, remission requests and payment plans, with examples.

When your individual tax return is due if you self-lodge, how the tax agent lodgment program extends it, when the tax bill must be paid, and what to do if you miss the date.

The individual tax return errors that most often trigger ATO adjustments, what happens if you get it wrong, how to avoid scams, and a directory of official sources.

The ATO's three golden rules, the claims most often reduced — car, clothing, phone, self-education, travel and working from home — and how to fix a claim you got wrong.