The rush is over for the self-lodgers who filed in the final days before the deadline. The ATO said on 29 October that around one million self-preparers were still to lodge, so a large group of returns has landed at once. Now the question is when the money arrives. The ATO publishes processing benchmarks, and it has been blunt that ringing up won't make a return move faster.

The ATO's processing benchmarks

According to the ATO's Tax Time 2026 guidance, most electronically lodged current-year returns are targeted to be finalised within 10 Business days. Another ATO page puts the figure at 12 business days, so treat the target as roughly two weeks to two and a half weeks.

Paper returns are a different story. The ATO says they can take up to 90 business days, which is more than four months once weekends are counted.

These are targets, not guarantees. A return can take longer if the ATO needs to check information, match it against data from employers, banks and other third parties, or contact the taxpayer.

Earlier in the season, things moved quickly. As at 13 August, the ATO reported an average processing time of six days and an average refund of $2,666, about 3 per cent higher than a year earlier. Deadline-week lodgers shouldn't assume the same speed, given the Volume arriving together.

The scale is significant. An ATO spokesperson said on 29 October that it had received "over 10 million income tax returns", with around a million self-preparers still to go at that point.

Much of the processing involves matching. The ATO holds more than 100 million pieces of pre-fill information, covering items such as salary, bank interest and other third-party data.

Where a return lines up with that information, it is more likely to move smoothly. Where figures differ, or income appears that wasn't reported, the ATO may hold the return for review or contact the taxpayer. That is one reason a refund can arrive later than a friend's, even if both lodged on the same day.

Why calling and lodging again can slow things down

The ATO's Anita Challen addressed this directly in media comments on 19 October. "Calling us won't speed up the progress of your return," she said.

A phone call doesn't change the order in which returns are worked through, and it adds to Demand on lines that other people may genuinely need. Online status checks usually show where things stand more quickly.

Ms Challen also had a message for people delaying because they feared a bill. "Expecting a tax bill isn't a reason to delay lodging," she said.

Another common mistake after lodging is to try to fix an error by lodging a second return. The ATO says not to do this.

Instead, the usual route is to wait for the original return to finish processing and then request an amendment. A duplicate return can complicate and delay processing rather than speed it up.

The ATO's targets for amendments are also published. Electronic amendments are targeted within 15 business days, while paper amendments can take up to 90 business days.

If you realise you've left out income, such as interest, or claimed a deduction you aren't entitled to, an amendment is the proper route. Correcting it promptly is generally better than waiting for the ATO to find it.

Hypothetical example: a return lodged on deadline day

Hypothetical example: Jordan lodged an electronic return through myGov on Monday 2 November 2026, the final day for self-lodgers this year.

Counting 10 business days from the next day, and ignoring public holidays, the ATO's target would fall on Monday 16 November. On the 12-day figure, it would be Wednesday 18 November.

If Jordan had posted a paper return the same day, the 90-business-day maximum would run to Monday 8 March 2027 before public holidays are counted. The summer break would push it later.

Now suppose Jordan spots a mistake and lodges an electronic amendment once the original is finalised on 16 November. At the 15-business-day target, the amendment would be expected by about 7 December.

The dates are illustrative only. Public holidays, such as Melbourne Cup Day in much of Victoria, extra checks or an ATO request for information could all change the timing.

Planned outages could affect status checks

The ATO has scheduled several maintenance windows in November. All times are AEDT.

The ATO lists monthly maintenance from 10pm Saturday 7 November to noon Sunday 8 November. A longer integrated release runs from 11.30pm Friday 13 November to 7am Monday 16 November.

Two further windows run from 10pm Saturday 21 November to 7am Monday 23 November, and from 11.30pm Friday 27 November to 7am Monday 30 November.

The ATO says Online Services for Individuals and some ATO app features may be affected in part or in full. Weekly maintenance also runs overnight on several weeknights and can extend by up to three hours.

Owe money rather than expecting a refund?

Not everyone is waiting for a refund. The ATO's final countdown release says self-preparers' tax bills are due on 21 November.

That date falls on a Saturday this year, and the ATO sets out how it treats the payment date on its website. Lodging late doesn't move the due date for paying a bill.

If you can't pay in full, the ATO generally encourages people to contact it early about Options such as a payment plan, rather than ignoring the debt.

Key dates to watch

  • 7–8 November: monthly ATO maintenance window (10pm Saturday to noon Sunday AEDT).
  • 13–16 November: integrated release, with online services possibly affected from Friday night to Monday morning.
  • Mid to late November: when many returns lodged on 2 November would reach the ATO's 10 to 12 business day target.
  • 21 November: self-preparers' tax bills due, a Saturday this year.
  • 27–30 November: final scheduled November maintenance weekend.

The ATO's published processing time is the benchmark to allow for before chasing a refund, and a duplicate lodgment can slow things down.