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Cost of tax compliance statistics

Last updated 7 June 2023

Cost of compliance data is taken from income tax returns, FBT returns and activity statements.

Cost of tax compliance summary charts

Chart 19: Average time to complete tax return, 2016–17 to 2020–21 income years

Chart 19 shows the average time taken to complete the income tax return form has been decreasing for individuals, companies, super funds, partnerships and trusts over the last 5 income years. The link below will take you to the data behind this chart as well as similar data back to the 2009–10 income year.

In this chart, Individuals includes only those who completed the business and professional items section of the tax return.

Download data from the 2009–10 income year onward at Snapshot table 5External Link.

Chart 20: Cost of managing tax affairs for individuals, 2016–17 to 2020–21 income years

Chart 20 shows the total cost of managing tax affairs reported by individuals for the last 5 income years. The link below will take you to the data behind this chart as well as similar data back to the 2005–06 income year.

In this chart:

  • Cost of managing tax affairs doesn't include amounts claimed for the cost of managing tax affairs under a different label
  • Cost of managing tax affairs for 2016–17 includes
    • expenses people incurred in managing their tax affairs
    • any interest charge we imposed
    • other costs
     
  • from 2017–18, deductions are reported at 3 labels rather than one label.

See Individuals tax return and instructions 2021.

Download data from the 2005–06 income year onward at Snapshot table 5External Link.

Cost of tax compliance detailed tables

Table 1External Link: Cost of taxation compliance data, by form type, 1998–99 to 2021–22 years

Table 2External Link: Tax return form time-box data, by entity type, lodgment method and total business income, 2020–21 income year

Table 3External Link: Fringe benefits tax (FBT) and business activity statement (BAS) forms time-box data, by market segment, 2015–16 to 2021–22 FBT and financial years

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