Providing your data
When you have created all your records and you are ready to prepare your tax return, you can use myDeductions to either:
- email your myDeductions records to your tax agent – see Share data by email
- upload your myDeductions records to pre-fill your myTax, so that you or your tax agent can lodge your tax return.
Before you upload
You can only upload your records once for each financial year's return. Once uploaded you'll no longer be able to amend that year's information in myDeductions. Before you upload your data to us, make sure your records are complete and accurate.
If you find a record that is wrong, you can delete it as long as you haven't already uploaded it. Delete it by opening the record and selecting the Delete button. If you have already uploaded the data, amend the data in your myTax return before you submit.
Steps to upload your data to lodge your tax return
- Complete your records in myDeductions.
- You can only upload from 1 July each year and only after you have installed the latest version of the ATO app.
- You must have a myGov account that's linked to us.
- From the myDeductions home screen, select
- Settings
- Upload to tax return, then follow the prompts.
- We will pre-fill your tax return for you with the data provided. You or your tax agent can use this information to lodge your tax return.
For myTax users, if you upload your data:
- before you have started myTax, your data will be pre-filled for you.
- after you have started myTax, to pre-fill your data follow these steps:
- Go to the ‘Personalise return’ screen
- expand the 'Did you use the ATO app's myDeductions tool during the year?' panel by selecting the 'How to upload' link
- Select Get myDeductions in the panel to pre-fill your return with your data. myTax will display a message to indicate whether your deductions have been included.
Common issues with uploading to your tax return
Common issues with uploading to your tax return are:
- Upload errors
- Checking your data after upload
- What your tax agent can see
- Remove records you've uploaded from your device
- How we access and use your myDeductions data
Upload errors
If you are having trouble uploading your data, see Help and support for online services – individuals.
Checking your data after upload
If you, or your tax agent, would like to check that your data has uploaded correctly, you can access the upload report from the app.
The upload report shows which records were pre-filled into each of the income and deduction labels in myTax. The report also shows the amounts uploaded. Note that some values may be rounded in myTax.
To access the report, go to myDeductions settings, then View upload summaries., By selecting the report, you have the option to:
- View result – show the report on the device screen
- Share via PDF – convert the report into PDF to view, print or share (for example, by email, dropbox, Google drive or iCloud)
- Share via email – send an HTML version of the report by email
- Delete result – permanently delete the upload report.
You can print or share the Upload summary report to a computer or another device.
What your tax agent can see
If you have uploaded your data, your tax agent will receive the same information that is available to you in myTax.
Some of your income and expenses may have been grouped in order to be pre-filled. If your agent would like a copy of your individual income or expense records you can send them a spreadsheet, see Share data by email.
Remove records you've uploaded from your device
You can delete most of your records within the myDeductions tool. However, once a trip or expense has been recorded against a vehicle, that vehicle will always be shown in myDeductions. To be able to delete any vehicle, all trips or expenses associated with that must be individually deleted first (including those from another year).
Before deleting your records, make sure you have a copy of your photos and data in case you later need to substantiate your claims. Businesses must keep their records for at least 5 years (some records need to be kept longer).
How we access and use your myDeductions data
We will only access or use your data when:
- you upload completed records from 1 July
- we need it for analytical purposes.
Your record-keeping obligations do not change – you will still need to keep a copy of your data and any associated evidence, such as photos, to substantiate your claims.