How to Do a Tax Return in Australia as an International Student
Doing a tax return in Australia as an international student sounds intimidating, but for most students, it is a free, 30-minute task that ends with money back in your account. If you worked part-time during the 2025-26 financial year (1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026), this guide walks you through the whole process: whether you need to lodge at all, how to work out if you are a resident for tax purposes, what documents to gather, and how to submit your return online through myGov and myTax. You will also learn the current tax rates and the $18,200 tax-free threshold, what happens to your superannuation, and the mistakes that cost students part of their refund every year. Last updated: June 2026 Do International Students Have to Lodge a Tax Return? {#do-students-have-to-lodge} If you worked in Australia during the financial year and your employer withheld tax from your pay, you need to lodge a tax return. This applies even if you only worked a few shifts a week, and even if you earned under the tax-free threshold, because lodging is how you claim back the tax that was withheld. The Australian financial year runs from 1 July to 30 June. After it ends, you report your Australian income to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). There are two outcomes: Lodging on time also keeps your record clean, which matters when you later apply for a post-study work visa or permanent residency. A tidy tax history is one less thing for a case officer to question. Are You a Resident for Tax Purposes? Before you lodge, you need to know whether the ATO treats you as a resident or a non-resident for tax purposes. This is the single biggest factor in how much tax you pay, and it has nothing to do with your citizenship or your Subclass 500 student visa. Tax residency is a separate test. The ATO uses several tests, but the one that catches most students is the 183-day rule: if you were physically present in Australia for 183 days or more during the financial year, you are generally a resident for tax purposes. Because most students enrol in courses lasting a year or more, most students qualify as residents, per the resident for tax purposes guidance on ato.gov.au. Why it matters: Part-year residents sit in between. If you arrived partway through the financial year, you get a reduced tax-free threshold of at least $13,464, with the remaining $4,736 pro-rated for the months you were a resident. If your course runs less than six months and you intend to leave straight after, you are likely a non-resident and lose the threshold. What You Need Before You Start Gathering your documents first makes the actual lodgment quick. For an international student return, you need four things: How to Lodge Your Tax Return Step by Step Lodging online through myTax is free and handles the calculations for you. Follow these steps in order. Step 1: Set up myGov and link the ATO. Create a myGov account at my.gov.au, then link it to the ATO using your TFN and two pieces of identity information, such as a bank account or a previous notice of assessment. Step 2: Wait until your income statement is tax ready. Do not rush to lodge on 1 July. Employers have until mid-to-late July to finalise their Single Touch Payroll data. Lodging before your income statement shows “tax ready” means working from numbers that may still change, which can trigger an amendment later. Step 3: Open myTax and check the pre-filled income. Inside myGov, go to the ATO section and select “Lodge” for the 2025-26 year. Most of your income will already be filled in. Compare it against your final payslips to confirm nothing is missing, especially if you changed jobs during the year. Step 4: Add your deductions. Enter your work-related expenses in the deductions section. Only claim what you actually spent and can support with a record. Honest, modest claims process smoothly; inflated ones invite an ATO review. Step 5: Enter your bank details and submit. Add your Australian BSB and account number, review the estimated refund myTax shows you, and submit. You will get a receipt number on screen. If you have already left the country, you can still lodge your tax return from outside Australia through the same myGov account. Tax Rates, the Tax-Free Threshold, and Your Refund Knowing the rates tells you why you are likely owed a refund. When you started work, your employer withheld tax from each pay, assuming a steady income. Most students work irregular, part-time hours and end the year below or near the threshold, so too much was withheld. The return gives it back. Here are the resident rates for the 2025-26 financial year, per the individual income tax rates on ato.gov.au: Taxable income Tax on this income $0 – $18,200 Nil $18,201 – $45,000 16c for each $1 over $18,200 $45,001 – $135,000 $4,288 plus 30c for each $1 over $45,000 $135,001 – $190,000 $31,288 plus 37c for each $1 over $135,000 $190,001 and over $51,638 plus 45c for each $1 over $190,000 Two points students miss. First, these rates exclude the 2% Medicare levy, but Indonesian students are generally not eligible for Medicare, so you can apply for a Medicare Entitlement Statement and claim a levy exemption. Second, the ATO pays most online refunds within two weeks by direct deposit, so there is no benefit to using a paid “instant refund” service that takes a cut. Superannuation and the Departing Australia Super Payment Superannuation is money your employer pays into a retirement fund on top of your wages, and as an international student you can usually get it back when you leave. From 1 July 2025, the super guarantee rate is 12% of your ordinary earnings, paid regardless of how much you earn each month. The old $450-per-month minimum was removed in 2022, so older guides quoting 9.5% and a $450 threshold are out of
