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:

• You earned income and tax was withheld: lodge a tax return to report it and claim your refund.
• You earned under $18,200 and had no tax withheld: you do not need a full return, but you should submit a non-lodgment advice so the ATO knows you are not lodging.

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:

• Residents get the full $18,200 tax-free threshold and are taxed at the same rates as other Australians.
• Non-residents receive no tax-free threshold and are taxed from the first dollar at 30% up to $135,000.

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:

1. Get a Tax File Number (TFN). Your TFN is your personal reference number in the tax system. Apply for free through the TFN application on ato.gov.au and give it to each employer within 28 days of starting, or they must withhold tax at the top rate of 47%.
2. Confirm your income statement is ready. Employers report your pay to the ATO through Single Touch Payroll, so your old paper payment summary is gone. The data pre-fills into your return once your employer marks it “tax ready”.
3. Collect receipts for work-related deductions. Keep records for uniforms, protective gear, tools, union fees, and travel between two jobs on the same day. These reduce your taxable income.
4. Have your Australian bank details handy. The ATO pays refunds only by direct deposit, so you need a BSB and account number.

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:

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 date.

While you study, you cannot spend this money; it sits in your super fund. Once you leave Australia and your visa stops being in effect, you can claim it as a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP). The ATO taxes the taxed element of a DASP at 35% for temporary residents who are not working holiday makers, so a student typically keeps around 65% of the balance. You apply through the DASP system on ato.gov.au, and you will need your super fund name and member number, so ask each employer which fund they paid into.

Common Mistakes International Students Make

A few avoidable errors cost students money or trigger ATO attention every year:

• Lodging too early, before your income statement is tax ready, then having to amend it.
• Forgetting a job. If you worked for two employers, both must appear in your return.
• Ticking the wrong residency status, which removes your tax-free threshold and shrinks your refund.
• Over-claiming deductions with no receipts, which can lead to a review and penalties.
• Never lodging at all because you assume a low income means you owe nothing, when you are often owed a refund.

Where to Get Help With Your Tax Return

Tax filing is handled by the Australian Taxation Office or a registered tax agent, not a migration agent, so for tax-specific questions go to the right source:

• Lodge it yourself for free through myTax in your myGov account. Most student returns are simple enough to do this way.
• Use a registered tax agent if your situation is complicated, for example multiple jobs, a departing super claim, or uncertain residency. Check the agent is registered on the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) public register.
• Read the official guidance on the Studying in Australia tax page on studyaustralia.gov.au and on ato.gov.au.

This article is general information only and does not replace personal tax advice. For your specific situation, check ato.gov.au or speak with a registered tax agent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do international students need to lodge a tax return in Australia?

If you worked and had tax withheld during the financial year, yes. You must lodge a tax return to report your Australian income, and you will usually receive a refund. If you earned under $18,200 and no tax was withheld, you lodge a non-lodgment advice instead.

How much does it cost to lodge a tax return as an international student?

Lodging yourself through myTax in your myGov account is free. A registered tax agent typically charges from AUD 80 to AUD 150 for a simple student return, and that fee is deductible on next year’s return. Most student returns are simple enough to lodge yourself.

When is the deadline to lodge a tax return in Australia?

If you lodge yourself, the deadline is 31 October 2026 for the 2025-26 financial year. If you register with a tax agent before that date, you usually get an extension into the following year. Avoid lodging before late July so your income statement is ready.

Am I a resident or non-resident for tax purposes as a student?

Most international students who live in Australia for six months or more during a financial year are residents for tax purposes. Residency for tax is separate from your visa status. Residents get the $18,200 tax-free threshold; non-residents are taxed from the first dollar.

How long does it take to get a tax refund in Australia?

The ATO processes most online tax returns within two weeks and pays refunds by direct deposit to your nominated bank account. Paper returns take up to 50 business days. You can track your return’s progress anytime through your myGov account.

Can I get my superannuation back when I leave Australia?

Yes. As a temporary resident, you can claim a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment once you leave and your visa stops being in effect. The ATO taxes the payment at 35% for the taxed element, so you keep roughly 65% of your accumulated super.