Sole trader tax return due date 31 October: lodge it yourself or get on an agent's list?

It’s late October and the shoebox of receipts is still on top of the fridge. If that’s you, you have two real choices this week. You can lodge your own return before the ATO’s deadline, or you can get yourself onto a registered tax agent’s list and take their later date.

Both work. But for a one-person business, the choice reaches past tax. Your lodged return is usually the first document a lender asks a sole trader for. That makes “when will my return be lodged?” a borrowing question too, and most owners don’t see it until a lender asks.

What are the actual deadlines this year?

Here are the dates for the 2025–26 return, taken from the ATO’s own guidance:

Your situation	Lodgement deadline
You lodge yourself (myTax or paper)	31 October 2026. It’s a Saturday, so the ATO accepts returns until 11:59 pm local time Monday 2 November
You want an agent’s later date	You must be on the agent’s client list by 31 October 2026. Being added on the next business day doesn’t count
On an agent’s list, no overdue returns	Usually 15 May 2027. Some 15 May returns get a 5 June concession if any tax owing is paid by then. Ask your agent
On an agent’s list, earlier returns overdue at 30 June 2026	31 October 2026. The later program date doesn’t apply
You self-lodged and owe tax	Payment due 21 November. That’s a Saturday this year, so in practice Monday 23 November

The trap is in the second row. Self-lodgers get until Monday because of the weekend. The ATO’s registered agent lodgment program is firmer: new clients have to be on the agent’s list by 31 October itself. Practices are closed on Saturday, so for most owners the real cut-off to sign up with an agent is Friday 30 October. Ring on Monday 2 November and you’ll be self-lodging that day, ready or not.

The ATO’s small business newsroom puts it simply. If you need more time, use a registered tax practitioner, but engage them before 31 October.

Should I lodge it myself or use a tax agent?

There’s no single right answer. Here’s how we’d weigh it with an owner at the kitchen table.

Lodging yourself makes sense when:

• your business is simple: one income stream, a few clear expenses and no staff;
• your bookkeeping is up to date and you know your figures;
• you’re comfortable with the business and professional items schedule in myTax;
• you can finish by Monday 2 November without guessing.

Going on an agent’s list makes sense when:

• your records need tidying and rushing would mean estimating;
• you bought a vehicle or equipment, work from home, paid a relative or have a mix of job and ABN income;
• you’re behind on earlier years and need someone to sort out the order;
• you plan to borrow in the next year and want a return prepared to a standard a lender will trust.

The last point is the one people underrate. A return you rushed out at 11 pm on a Sunday can come back to bite you. Amendments, missed deductions and income in the wrong place all lead to questions when a credit assessor compares your return with your bank statements.

How do I check a tax agent is registered?

Only registered tax agents can charge a fee to prepare your return and give you access to the later lodgement program. The ATO says it’s seen more returns suspected of being prepared by unregistered preparers. Before you hand over your myGov details, search the person or firm on the Tax Practitioners Board public register. It shows their registration status, any conditions and any sanctions.

One more reason to use a registered agent: the ATO’s failure to lodge on time penalty generally won’t apply to you if you gave your agent everything they needed on time and the late lodgement was their doing, not yours.

What does the agent’s later date mean if I want to borrow?

This is where tax time meets the business. Say you go on an agent’s list this week and they lodge on 14 May 2027. That’s perfectly legal. But think about what a lender sees between now and then.

• Many banks want the latest financial year’s return and the matching notice of assessment. Until your 2025–26 return is lodged, the newest figures they can see are for 2024–25, which ended in June 2025.
• If this year was better than last, you’re being judged on the weaker year. That can mean borrowing less than you could, or not getting through at all.
• If this year was worse, a lender may still ask for management figures or BAS to see the current trend, so a late return doesn’t hide anything.
• Unlodged returns raise a question every assessor asks: is there tax owing that hasn’t been assessed yet?

Not every lender works this way. Some business-purpose lenders assess on recent BAS and bank statements. Our sole trader business loans page explains how that works. But it’s better to have the choice than to be stuck with the narrower one.

So if borrowing is on the cards, say so when you sign up: “I’m on your list for the extension, but please lodge mine by February because I may apply for finance.” Most agents will gladly prioritise you if you bring them clean records early. Our list of questions to ask your accountant before borrowing covers what else to raise in the same meeting.

If you already know you’ll need business finance in the next few months, you don’t have to wait for the return. A short enquiry lets us look at what’s possible on the figures you have now.

A worked example

Illustrative only. Priya runs a home-based online homewares business as a sole trader and posts parcels from her spare room. Last year she self-lodged in myTax in early October. This year she’s been flat out with spring orders, she bought a second-hand van in March, and she’s thinking about business finance early next year to buy more stock and a second shelving unit.

On Wednesday 21 October she checks a local agent on the TPB register and books a call. On Thursday she signs their engagement letter and they add her to their client list. Her lodgement due date is now in 2027. But she tells the agent about the finance plans, so they agree to lodge her 2025–26 return in early December once she’s handed over her van paperwork and bank feeds.

By January she has a lodged return, a notice of assessment and a clear figure for any tax owing, plus a payment plan with the ATO if she needs one. When she enquires about finance, the lender sees her current year rather than a figure that’s nearly two years old.

The names are made up, but the order of steps is one we see work again and again.

What if I miss 31 October?

Don’t panic, and don’t go quiet. A late return gets worse the longer it’s left, both with the ATO and in a future loan file.

1. Lodge as soon as you can, or engage a registered agent and ask them to lodge quickly. Missing 31 October means the later program date doesn’t cover this return, so it’s already overdue.
2. Know what the penalty is. The ATO can apply one penalty unit for each 28 days (or part of 28 days) a return is late, up to five units. It often writes before applying a penalty, and it can remit the penalty depending on your circumstances.
3. Keep the payment date separate in your head. Lodging and paying are different deadlines. If you owe tax and can’t pay it all, lodge anyway and talk to the ATO about a payment plan. Our page on sole trader ATO debt explains how lenders look at that.
4. Fix the habit. Most late lodgements start with a household cash flow that has no tax set-aside. Our guide to paying yourself from your business has a simple rhythm for putting tax money aside each month.

Remember too that if earlier years are still outstanding at 30 June 2026, your 2026 return is due 31 October even with an agent. Catching up the oldest years first is usually the starting point. Confirm the order with your accountant.

Your tax return this week, your finance options next year

Whichever way you go, this week matters. Lodge by Monday 2 November, or get your name on a registered agent’s list by Friday, and you’ve kept your options open with the ATO and with lenders.

Tax time is also when many sole traders realise the business needs some breathing room: a van to replace, stock to buy for the busy season, or a tax bill that has landed bigger than hoped. That’s the kind of conversation we have every day, one owner at a time. Sometimes there’s a business-purpose loan or line of credit that fits. Sometimes the honest answer is to lodge first and come back in a few weeks, and we’ll tell you that.

Enquiring takes about 60 seconds, and there’s no credit check when you first get in touch, so asking a question won’t touch your credit file. We don’t pass your details around a crowd of lenders, so your phone stays quiet. One real person reads your enquiry, looks at your situation, including where your tax returns are up to, and calls you to talk it through. Please fill in the form accurately, including any returns still to be lodged and any tax owing. It helps us find the right option first time.

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