Pre-lodgment compliance review timeline

Timeline purpose

This timeline indicates key points in the pre-lodgment compliance review (PCR) cycle. Potential meeting points and subjects are shown, as well as information sources the taxpayer should have available at that point. Information collected at these points assists risk identification and assessment for your lodgment.

This timeline also indicates other potential sources of information that could be obtained from the ATO and other regulators.

You can also download this information in a portable document format (PDF) – Pre-lodgment compliance review timeline (PDF, 259KB).

Meeting points by quarter

Typical meeting points for each quarter:

Quarter 1
- Tax year begins
- Taxpayer businesses and financial updates
- Taxpayer disclosures
- PCR framework including PCR intent, communication protocols and information gathering
Quarter 2
- Taxpayer businesses and financial updates
- Taxpayer disclosures
- PCR framework updates
Quarter 3
- Taxpayer businesses and financial updates
- Taxpayer disclosures
- PCR framework updates
Quarter 4
- Tax year ends
- Taxpayer businesses and financial updates
- Taxpayer disclosures
- PCR framework updates
Quarter 5
- Taxpayer businesses and financial updates
- Taxpayer disclosures
- PCR framework updates
Quarter 6
- Final payment
- Taxpayer businesses and financial updates
- Taxpayer disclosures
- PCR framework updates
- The return and schedules being prepared
Quarter 7
- Tax return lodgment
- Final return and schedules and any issues
- Potential amendments
- PCR framework updates
Quarter 8
- Final return and schedules and any issues
- Potential amendments.

Information sources by quarter

Information sources you need to assist risk identification and assessment for your lodgment.

Quarter	Potential information sources available from taxpayers	Other taxpayer reporting to ATO	Other taxpayer reporting to regulators	Government material and potential discussion points	ATO provided information
Q1	Documentation for disclosures made Group reporting packs or equivalent	Activity statements PAYG payments	None	Recent and anticipated tax legislative program	ATO findings and recommendations Developments in law and administration of relevance to taxpayer Risk and strategy updates
Q2	Documentation for disclosures made Tax effect accounting processes and documents Tax return preparation and review process documents Group reporting packs or equivalent	Activity statements PAYG payments	ASIC/APRA/ASX Lodgments, analyst presentations and announcements on half year accounts	None	ATO findings and recommendations Tax compliance program information Developments in law and administration of relevance to taxpayer Risk and strategy updates
Q3	Documentation for disclosures made Half-year financial statements and tax effect working papers Tax income calculations Deferred tax assets Deferred tax liabilities Tax notes Market disclosures Group reporting packs or equivalent	Activity statements PAYG payments FBT return	ASIC/APRA/ASX Lodgments, analyst presentations and announcements on half year accounts	Mid-year economic fiscal outlook	ATO findings and recommendations Tax return instructions and changes Developments in law and administration of relevance to taxpayer Risk and strategy updates
Q4	Documentation for disclosures made Group reporting packs or equivalent	Activity statements PAYG payments	None	Budget tax announcements	ATO findings and recommendations Tax compliance program information Developments in law and administration of relevance to taxpayer Risk and strategy updates
Quarter 5	Documentation for disclosures made Full-year financial statements and tax effect working papers Tax income calculations Franking account Year-end adjustment entries Deferred tax assets Deferred tax liabilities Tax notes Market disclosures	Activity statements PAYG payments	ASIC/APRA/ASX Lodgments, analyst presentations and announcements on half year accounts	Recent and anticipated tax legislative program	ATO findings and recommendations Developments in law and administration of relevance to taxpayer Risk and strategy updates
Quarter 6	Documentation for disclosures made	Activity statements PAYG payments	ASIC/APRA/ASX Lodgments, analyst presentations and announcements on half year accounts	None	ATO findings and recommendations Tax return instructions and changes Developments in law and administration of relevance to taxpayer Risk and strategy updates
Quarter 7	Tax returns and all schedules Reportable tax position schedule CbC reporting (where available) Detailed statement of taxable income Supporting working papers Documentation for disclosures made	Activity statements PAYG payments	None	Mid-year economic fiscal outlook	ATO findings and recommendations Developments in law and administration of relevance to taxpayer Risk and strategy updates
Quarter 8	None	Activity statements PAYG payments CbC lodgment	None	Budget tax announcements	ATO findings and recommendations Developments in law and administration of relevance to taxpayer Risk and strategy updates

Group reporting packs or equivalent

Group reporting packs or equivalent are submitted by a Australian subsidiary to a parent company for the purposes of accounting consolidation.

The pack usually includes:

a balance sheet and profit and loss statement
schedules that feed into the group financial statements
notes to the financial statements.

Developments in law and administration of relevance to taxpayer

For example:

public rulings program
advance pricing arrangement program
industry issues
key ATO speeches
consultative forum news.

Pre-lodgment compliance review timeline

Timeline purpose

Meeting points by quarter

Information sources by quarter

Group reporting packs or equivalent

Developments in law and administration of relevance to taxpayer

Tools

Tax information for

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