Tax deadline: 2 Nov 2026. Planning a 485? Don't mess this up.

Lodging your own 2025–26 return? The general deadline is 2 November 2026. Planning a 485? Check your tax records and address any ATO debt.

Editorial edition 2026-10-19 · Published 19 Oct 2026 · Updated 19 Oct 2026 · Sources checked 19 Oct 2026

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Between classes, shifts and assignments, your tax return can slip down the list. But “I didn’t earn much” isn’t a reliable reason to skip it. You could have tax to claim back, or a simple notification to send instead. Here’s a practical check for students and recent graduates dealing with the 2025–26 financial year: 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026. Planning a 485 visa? Check any outstanding ATO debt as well as your lodgment task; a late or incorrect return alone does not automatically cause a visa refusal.

Who this is for: General information for students and graduates preparing Australian 2025–26 income tax returns, including those considering a subclass 485 visa.

1. Put the right deadline in your calendar

The usual deadline for lodging your own return is 31 October. This year that falls on a Saturday, so applying the ATO’s weekend rule makes the general deadline Monday 2 November 2026. This is a lodgment deadline; any tax bill has its own payment due date.

Using a registered tax agent? Engage them before 31 October and confirm your actual lodgment date. A later deadline isn’t automatic for everyone. Check the ATO’s preparation and deadline guidance.

2. Check whether tax came out of your pay

For someone entitled to the full $18,200 tax-free threshold, earning below that amount doesn’t necessarily end the paperwork. If tax was withheld, the ATO says you need to lodge a return to claim it back.

Check the tax-withheld figure on your income statement or payment summary. Then use the ATO’s lodgment checker rather than guessing from your wages alone. Your circumstances, including other income, matter. Work out whether you need to lodge.

3. International student? Check tax residency separately

Your visa label doesn’t settle your tax residency. The ATO looks beyond citizenship and visa type, considering factors such as where you live, your family ties and your employment situation.

Being a resident for only part of the financial year can reduce your tax-free threshold. Temporary-resident rules can also change how overseas income is treated. If you arrived, left or earned money overseas during the year, get this checked before submitting. Check the ATO’s tax-residency guide.

Planning a 485? Check debt separately

The Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) rules include a Commonwealth-debt criterion. Outstanding debts to the Australian Government must be paid, or the Minister must be satisfied that appropriate payment arrangements have been made. Unresolved ATO debt can therefore matter. See the 485 eligibility overview, regulation 485.216 and public interest criterion 4004.

A late or incorrect tax return alone is not an automatic 485 refusal or a finding of visa fraud. The debt criterion is separate from PIC 4020, which deals with bogus documents or materially false or misleading visa-related information. Do not equate an ordinary tax mistake with that rule.

Before applying, check your ATO account and notices, lodge any required return correctly, and check whether an amount is due. Pay a due amount or contact the ATO about a payment plan. Keep your returns, notices, receipts and confirmation of any arrangement. A payment arrangement does not guarantee visa approval.

For advice about your own position, speak with a registered tax agent about tax and an immigration lawyer about visa matters.

4. Review the numbers and avoid the study-expense trap

Check that every employer is accounted for and that your income statements are marked “Tax ready”. If a figure is wrong, contact the employer. Find and check your income statements.

Also gather bank-interest details, records of other income and receipts for any deductions you intend to claim.

Don’t assume that being a student makes your course costs deductible. Self-education expenses generally need a sufficient connection to your current income-earning work. Study that prepares you for a new job or career generally doesn’t qualify. Check the self-education rules.

5. Look for free help before October ends

The ATO’s Tax Help program runs from July to October. People earning around $70,000 or less with simple tax affairs may qualify for free assistance, including online or phone appointments.

There are exclusions: contractor or sole-trader work, capital gains and most foreign income can put a return outside the program. Check the full criteria before booking. A National Tax Clinic may be another option if you’re ineligible. Check Tax Help eligibility and booking details.

6. Finish the right task, safely

Sign in to myGov directly, open the ATO linked service, then choose Tax, Lodgments and Income tax. If the lodgment checker says you don’t need a return, submit a non-lodgment advice instead of leaving the year unresolved. Follow myGov’s tax-time steps.

Ignore unexpected “claim your refund” links. The ATO says it doesn’t send unsolicited emails or texts containing links to an online portal. Never share your myGov password. Read the ATO’s scam-safety advice.

Your next step today: check whether you need to lodge, then either start gathering your records or book help. You don’t have to solve every tax question in one sitting.

General information only, checked 19 October 2026. This isn’t personal tax, financial, legal or immigration advice. Tax residency, refunds, payment dates and visa eligibility depend on your circumstances. Confirm tax matters with the ATO or a registered tax agent, and visa matters with Home Affairs or an immigration lawyer.