When you need to correct your tax return
You may need to amend your tax return if you have:
- made an error when answering a question
- forgotten to include some income or a capital gain
- forgotten to claim an offset or deduction
- had something change after you lodged your tax return, such as
- receiving a revised payment summary or another payment summary
- your employer finalising or updating your income statement
- repaying an amount of income you were overpaid.
You can use the amendment process to correct a mistake or omission in your tax return.
If you think we made an error processing your tax return, contact us. We may be able to sort it out without the need for an amendment.
Before you amend your tax return
If you need to lodge an amendment, wait until you receive notification that your original tax return or any amendments have been processed.
This will help reduce future processing delays.
There are time limits for lodging an amendment to a tax return. You'll need to lodge an objection if you want to:
- dispute the law
- dispute the facts we have used to come to a decision about your tax affairs (including your income tax assessment)
- lodge an amendment outside of the time limits.
If your amendment reduces the tax you owe, you'll receive a tax refund (unless you have other tax debts). If it increases the tax you owe, we treat the amendment as a voluntary disclosure. Your voluntary disclosure needs to be in an approved form. For an amendment to your tax return the approved form is either:
- an online amendment in ATO online services through myGov
- the paper form 'Request for amendment of income tax return for individuals'
- a letter.