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Plain-language reading on amendments, time limits and the claims people miss.

Nothing here is advice and none of it takes account of your circumstances. It is the background that helps you decide whether a second look is worth your time.

Start here | Guides | September 2026

You have two years to fix a tax return. Here is how the clock works.

Individuals generally have two years from the date their notice of assessment issues to request an amendment. That date is printed on the assessment itself and the window runs from there, not from the end of the financial year or the date you lodged.

For most people that means a return lodged in August is amendable until roughly the August two years later. Sole traders and small business have four years from the 2024-25 income year. Once the period closes, the return generally cannot be amended and an overpayment stays with the ATO.

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Read by the area of your return

Each area that gets checked has its own page with the three things a reviewer looks at first.

Work-related expenses

Tools, uniforms, licences and the costs of doing your job.

Car and travel

Trips between sites, bulky equipment and travel you were not reimbursed for.

Working from home

Hours at home, the method used and the rules that have changed more than once.

Self-education and training

Courses, seminars and materials tied to your current work.

Sole traders and side income

A longer amendment window and a wider set of claims.

A year that changed

Changing jobs, redundancy, two employers, time off, or a first year of extra income.

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