A tax refund is the reimbursement of an overpayment of income tax by a taxpayer. It occurs when the amount of tax you've already paid throughout the year (usually through automatic withholding from your paychecks) is greater than your final, calculated tax bill.
At the end of each financial year, you must submit a tax return. Your tax return will calculate the precise tax amount owed for the year, accounting for deductions, offsets, and rebates. If the amount already paid is incorrect, you'll either owe additional taxes or be eligible for a tax refund.
Example: taxable income over $48,000 but under $90,000
Anita is not eligible for the low income tax offset as her income is above $66,667. As Anita's income is more than $48,000 but less than $90,000, she is eligible for a low and middle income tax offset of $1,500.
Most online returns process within 2 weeks, however if we need to manually process it, it may take up to 30 calendar days. Paper returns may take up to 10 weeks (50 business days) to process.
Direct deposit: This is the fastest way to get your refund. Deposit into your checking, savings, or retirement account. You can split your refund into up to 3 accounts. Paper check: We'll mail your check to the address on your return.
Generally, a return will move through the following stages:
Millions of Australians ask this question every tax season, hoping to gauge if their refund is typical or if they could claim more deductions. The simple answer, based on recent surveys, is that Australians anticipate an average tax refund of around $1,177 for the 2024-25 financial year.
Deductions reduce your taxable income, which can result in a higher refund if you overpaid taxes based on a higher income estimate. Common deductions include: Standard Deduction: The standard deduction amount varies based on your filing status.
Yes, $80k AUD is a good salary in Australia, placing you above the median income, allowing for a comfortable life in most areas, but it becomes tighter in expensive cities like Sydney where rent is high. It provides a solid income, but its value depends heavily on your location and lifestyle, with significant differences between major cities, regional areas, and whether you're single or have dependents.
If you earned $18,200 or less in the past financial year AND you had no tax withheld from that income, you might not be required to lodge a tax return. But be careful: This does not mean you can ignore your taxes. Everyone needs to either lodge a tax return or lodge a “non lodgement advice” form.
How to maximize tax return: 4 ways to increase your tax refund
The Low and Middle Income Tax Offset (LMITO) Is Still Gone
To be clear: the Low and Middle Income Tax Offset ended on 30 June 2022 and it is not back. This offset used to provide a significant boost to refunds, so its absence continues to be a key reason why your refund is lower.
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Your tax refund is the amount you overpaid in taxes throughout the year via withholdings or estimated payments that's returned to you after filing. How much you get back also depends on which deductions and credits you're eligible for.
If you earn $87,000 a year, in the 2021/22 financial year you are eligible for a $1,080 tax offset plus an additional $420 cost of living tax offset.
Many are wondering if the Income Tax Department delays processing refunds if the refund amount is large, such as over Rs 50,000. According to income tax rules, there is no upper limit on refunds. Whether your refund is Rs 10,000 or Rs 1 lakh or even greater, it will be credited the same way.
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Does a Large Refund Trigger an Audit? Not necessarily. But if the refund is a result of fraudulent claims, such as inaccurately reporting income or claiming deductions you're not actually eligible for, then it can trigger an IRS audit.
You can't claim a deduction for the cost of buying or maintaining watches or timepieces, even if you require one as part of your job. This is a private expense. However, you can claim a deduction if your watch has special characteristics that you use for a work-related purpose.
A $75k salary in Australia is decent, above the median income for many age groups and allowing for comfortable living in regional areas, but it can be tight in expensive cities like Sydney or Melbourne, especially for families, with many feeling $100k is needed for stability, though it's a strong starting point for younger professionals. After tax, $75k becomes roughly $58.6k ($4,888/month), meaning lifestyle, location, and financial goals (like saving for a house) heavily influence whether it's considered "good".
Average federal refund: According to the IRS the average refund was $3,453 as of 2/21/2025. All tax situations: "All tax situations" means all IRS forms, credits, and deductions supported by TaxSlayer software (see https://www.taxslayer.com/tax-tools/federal-forms-for-taxes).
What is a tax refund? The money you receive in your tax refund is the amount of money you overpaid to the IRS throughout the year. Typically, this happens when your employer over-withheld taxes from your paycheck.
The ATO refund all the tax you pay during the year to you. However, once you start earning a little more and your income moves above the tax-free threshold, you'll no longer get all of your tax back in your refund. The same thing applies if you get a promotion or a new job that earns more money.
Early tax refunds are delivered 5 days before IRS delivery (IRS delivery is usually within 21 days).