Tax Return:: Can I Still Apply for My Tax Return Even If I Don't Have a Payslip/Pay Summary?

Hello, this is your tax and super specialist, P&C Tax Professionals.

Are you in a position where you do not have your payslips or pay summary from the employer(s) you were working for during the financial year and wondering whether you will still be able to apply for your tax return this year? While it is ideal for you to have your payslips or pay summary with you when you apply for your tax return through your nominated accountant, the good news is that you can still apply for your tax return without having your payslips or pay summary on hand.

This is all thanks to the ATO implementing the Single Touch Payroll (STP) system for all the employers and employees in Australia. With the STP in place, employers are now obligated to report the wages that were paid out to their employees each time they are paid out. Therefore, even if you do not have your payslips or pay summary with you, if you are lodging your tax return via a tax agent, your tax accountant would be able to search up your year-to-date income details through the ATO portal.

Generally, your finalised year-to-date income and tax details from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022 would be accessible from sometime between July to August 2022. However, please keep in mind that if for whatever reason your employer reports your wage details late, your updated and finalised income and tax information may only be available sometime between September to October or even beyond this date.

Most of the time, your employer would report your wage details each time you are paid your wage which means that your accountant would be able to look up your STP details when they are lodging your tax return on your behalf. Although, occasionally there are also times when your STP details cannot be looked up on the ATO portal. In such a case, you MUST have your last payslip (as at 30th June 2022) or a pay summary for the relevant financial year.

If you have lost your payslip or pay summary or have never received them, you should contact your previous or current employer for a payment summary in order to proceed with the lodgement of your tax return.

I hope today’s blog post on payslips and pay summary for your tax return has been beneficial. If you have any enquiries related to your tax or super or if you would like to apply for your tax return through P&C Tax Professionals, feel free to contact us via our official Facebook Page (P&C Tax Professionals – Australia) or simply send your questions to our email address at pnctax@naver.com.

Thank you and bye for now!