Your refund was too small — every year
Almost every Aussie overpays tax; it’s just a question of how much. The good news: the ATO lets you amend recent returns, so the deductions you missed become an extra refund.
Amend recent returns for an extra refund
The ATO lets you amend a tax return within two years of the notice of assessment (for sole traders, four years for 2024–25 onwards). In practice that’s usually your last two or three returns.
Lodged a batch late? You can amend every return whose refund issued less than two years ago — check the date of issue on your notices of assessment.
Done right, the typical first-timer recovers $20,000–$30,000 across their current-year and amended past returns.
Straight from the source: Amend your tax return — ATO.
The most common refund-shrinking errors
If any of these sound like you, there’s likely an extra refund waiting in your past returns.
Car claimed by cents-per-km
Capped at $4,400 instead of the $15,000–$30,000 a logbook unlocks. Claim your car.
Home-to-work kms not claimed
If your car qualifies, those trips count — fixing a misclassified logbook % can be worth ~$18,000.
Car-improvement depreciation
New tray, bull bar, wheels… depreciate the cost over 8 years instead of missing it entirely.
Travel meals on an allowance
An allowance in your income is taxed — so claim the meals. Often $13,750+/yr better off. Claim your meals.
No-receipt expenses skipped
Laundry ($156), overtime meals ($38.65/meal, $13,500+/yr), home-office electricity (70c/hr), the $10 donation.
Rental depreciation
Skipping a $500–800 depreciation report on a $400,000 property leaves ~$10,000/yr on the table.
Business space not leased
Sole traders & companies can claim the cost of office, garage and shed space used for the business.
Church tithing not claimed
Regular giving to a registered DGR (SDA, LDS, AOG and others) is deductible — typically 10% of income.
Spouse left off the return
Including your spouse can avoid the Medicare Levy Surcharge — and it’s required anyway.
Zone (remote) tax offset
Lived in a remote zone? Claim up to $1,173.
Income protection paid by you
If you paid it directly (not from super/pre-tax), it’s deductible. Paying from super costs you 15% — pay it directly.
Extra super contributions
Personal contributions paid post-tax are claimable in D12 — easily forgotten.
…and many more. Work through your occupation’s full A–Z expense list to catch everything.
For each item: add, or replace
Go through your occupation’s expenses. For every item you’ll do one of two things, then the new total goes into your amended return.
Add the unclaimed amount to what you originally claimed.
Replace the figure entirely (don’t add) — e.g. car switched from cents-per-km to logbook.
How to submit an amendment
Online via myGov · fastest
Log in, choose Manage tax returns, pick the year, and select Amend. Processing takes about 20 days. Need to set up myGov first? Free lodgement guide.
Paper form
Complete the Request for Amendment of Income Tax Return form and post it. It can take up to 13 weeks — photocopy it first, and call the ATO a week later to confirm it arrived.
Once processed, the ATO issues a new notice of assessment reflecting your bigger refund.
Find your extra refund
Run this year’s return first to learn what you should be claiming — then apply it to your last two or three years.