How long does a Tax Return take in Australia? That question is a lot like asking “how long is a piece of string”, with the answer being dependent on a few factors. The time it takes to do your Tax Return, and how long it takes to get a refund back from the ATO depends on how you do it.
At the short end, it can take under 5 minutes to complete your Tax Return. At the long end… hours!
How do you speed it up, you ask, and what delays it?
Great question, and luckily enough for you this entire article is dedicated to answering it. So, if you want to know how long it takes to do your Tax Return, how long it takes for the ATO to send your refund, or how to speed up the process, keep reading below.
How long does it take to get taxes back?
So… you’ve lodged your Tax Return & now you’re patiently waiting for the cash to hit your account. But where is it? One of the most common questions faced by our Numbers Geeks during tax time is ‘Where’s my refund?” So we thought it would be helpful to explain our refund process, as well as the estimated timeframe.
One Click Life has created our online tax lodgement system to make things as simple as possible. During the lodgement process, we communicate directly with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) while you wait, to get as much info for you as possible. But the next step takes a little bit longer.
When you hit the ‘LODGE’ button on your online Tax Return, your lodgement is sent to the ATO for review. The average time for them to review each Aussie’s Tax Return & process a refund is approximately 12 – 14 business days. (that’s up to 2 weeks on average)
Reasons why your tax refund may be delayed
Whilst One Click Life is the quickest, easiest & fuss-free way to lodge your online Tax Return, once you’ve hit ‘lodge’, some things are out of our hands & in the ATO’s.
Some Tax Returns might take a bit longer than the usual for the ATO to process. Here are a couple of reasons why this might happen:
If you lodge an Overdue Tax Return
If you lodge an Overdue Tax ReturnThe ATO tends to prioritise current year Tax Returns before processing any overdue lodgements from previous years – this may lead to a slower processing time.
If you need to lodge an overdue Tax Return, check out our step-by-step guide
If you lodge an Amended Tax Return
The ATO would take more time to process this, as they would have to bring up the original lodgement and compare the differences between the two before confirming the changes made are legitimate.
If the ATO want to review your Tax Return
If you have a high claim for tax deductions, the ATO may review your tax return and reach out to ask you to verify the tax deductions. Whilst this delays the tax refund, it is the ATO ensuring the integrity of the Australian Tax system.
Your tax refund has been garnished by another government agency
If you have underpaid child support or over claimed Centrelink, the ATO will use your tax refund to go towards what you owe. This can slow down the processing of your refund and you will only receive what is left after repaying the other government agency debt.
ATO fines & outstanding tax debts
If you have outstanding tax debts from previous years’ tax returns, the ATO can take your tax refund, or part of, prior to it coming to you.
The ATO can also fine you for late lodgements. They will pay these fines prior to refunding you your tax refund. This can be argued and if this happens to you, please reach out to discuss with us.
Reinstatement of old ATO debt
If you have had debt to the ATO and they have written it off, they may reinstate the debt if you are due a refund. This will slow down receiving your refund and you may lose the whole amount.
Your tax file number if compromised
If your tax file number if compromised, your refund will be delayed until you call the ATO to re-identify yourself.
The ATO considers a compromised TFN to be ‘one that may have been lost,
stolen or made known to another person and is therefore in danger of being used by
another person for unauthorised or fraudulent purposes’
If you have a compromised TFN, please call the ATO on 1800 467 033 to complete a re-identification.
Protect your personal identifying information
What to do if your tax refund is delayed
If your tax refund seems to be delayed, the first thing to do is not panic. Just sit tight and let’s wait at least 30 days first. This is because the ATO won’t take any questions about delays until at least 30 days after your first lodgement, so your refund has at least had a chance to come back to you.
If you have waited for 30 days and you are yet to have an update, you can:
Check the progress of your Tax Return with the ATO
If you are worried you should get in contact with one of our helpers at One Click Life. We can point you in the right direction and help you track down your Tax Return.
Why is it faster to lodge your online Tax Return with One Click Life?
The reason that it’s better to complete your Tax Return with a professional tax service like One Click Life is because it is quick, simple and easy with fewer mistakes. Customers boast that it takes as little as 5 minutes to lodge a Tax Return with One Click Life.
Save time with pre-filled income details, boost your refund with suggested deductions, or link up your bank account to automatically claim your expenses.
If you ever need help, there are qualified accountants readily available to answer your questions, assist with claiming deductions, and making sure you are compliant with the ATO.
| myGov | One Click Life | |
| Quick and simple | X | ✅ |
| Pre-fills your income details | X | ✅ |
| Helps you claim deductions | X | ✅ |
| Checks your return for errors | X | ✅ |
| Live support from a qualified accountant | X | ✅ |
The best way Australians can stay updated on their Tax Return
“Last minute I decided to do my tax return. I found One Click Life instructions were easy to follow. For once, I didn’t have to ask my wife for assistance 😂” – John M
“Awesome bunch. Fast, thorough. One-Click Life was quick and delivered exactly as promised. I got my tax refund faster than expected. They charge reasonable fees, unlike other places that take a big cut for instant refunds. If eligible, you can get up to $1,000 the next day. Their service is straightforward and hassle-free. Highly recommended!” – Shane R
“A very easy process, the accountants handled my case with ease and helped me through any steps or instructions with ease. Very happy with the service and have already recommended my friends and work colleagues to One Click Life .. thanks so much for your help” – Lewis J
“First year lodging my tax return with OneClickLife and it made all the difference! Much faster & more reliable than with any tax agent I have had in the past, supported by a great digital interface. I specifically appreciated the concern for cyber security as part of any document transfers.” – Jan G
One Click Life online Tax Returns
One Click Life offers online Tax Returns at your fingertips in an easy-to-use platform run by industry professionals.
Taxes, Health Insurance, and Wills can be time-consuming and tedious. Our app allows you to be able to do this fuss-free, giving you a simple way to organise, track and manage all of your Life Admin in one place.
Let One Click Life take care of your Tax Return and life’s essential tasks, so you can spend more time doing the things you love.