Most people assume that because they earn below the taxable income threshold of $18,200, they do not need to lodge.
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❌False! ❌
You would still need to lodge a tax return to the ATO. If you have not lodged your tax return this year, you have until the 31st October to do so. Remember, One Click Life is just one click away to save the day!
Plus, if you don’t lodge, you may be missing out on some dough (that’s slang for money if you didn’t know). And everybody wants to eat.
If you don’t lodge on time, the ATO will notify you after the due date via SMS, MyGov, mail or phone. If you have not lodged previous years, you may also be charged a Failure To Lodge (FTL) penalty.
Refer to table below to see the fee applicable for each year.
| When infringement occurred | Maximum ATO failure to lodge penalty ($) |
| On or after 7 November 2024 | 1,650 |
| 1 July 2023 to 6 November 2024 | 1,565 |
| 1 January 2023 to 30 June 2023 | 1,375 |
| 1 July 2020 to 31 December 2022 | 1,110 |
| 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2020 | 1,050 |
| 31 July 2015 to 30 June 2017 | 900 |
| 28 December 2012 to 30 July 2015 | 850 |
| Up to 2012 | 550 |
How does ATO Calculate the Failure To Lodge penalty?
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) calculates penalties on 1 penalty unit per 28 days the statement is overdue. For the year 2024, one penalty unit is $313. For previous year’s rates, refer to the Table below. The ATO can charge up to 5 penalty units, that is $1,565 for this year and this penalty would automatically be charged to your account.
Table: Previous Years’ Penalty Unit
| When infringement occurred | Penalty unit amount ($) |
| On or after 7 November 2024 | 330 |
| 1 July 2023 to 6 November 2024 | 313 |
| 1 January 2023 to 30 June 2023 | 275 |
| 1 July 2020 to 31 December 2022 | 222 |
| 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2020 | 210 |
| 31 July 2015 to 30 June 2017 | 180 |
| 28 December 2012 to 30 July 2015 | 170 |
| Up to 2012 | 110 |
It is highly unlikely the ATO will press charges against you for outstanding tax returns. However, in the off-chance they do, you could face imprisonment for up to 12 months and/or additional fines. Not to worry, this only occurs if you refuse to cooperate with the ATO.
If you are still sweating about your overdue tax returns, One Click Tax can give you that peace of mind. You can lay aside your worries by lodging with us. Simply create an account with us, let your data pre-fill, input any other required information, hit “lodge” and your tax return/s would be all done!
Lodge your Individual Tax Return online now!