About 2 million tax returns are still unfiled in Australia. The cut-off is Monday, 2 November 2026.
The set date is 31 October. It falls on a Saturday this year. So the practical cut-off moves to Monday.
The ATO says about 9 million returns are already in. Roughly 2 million are still to file.
A tax agent can give you more time. But you must be on their books before 31 October.
One penalty unit is now $364. That value started on 1 July 2026. It was $330 before that.
The fine rises by $364 every 28 days. It stops at a cap of $1,820.
The ATO may skip the fine for a refund or nil result. But a refund does not guarantee it.
Successful prosecutions for not lodging rose by more than 80 per cent in one year, per ATO figures.
The ATO pre-fills over 100 million data items. The figures can be out of date or wrong.
You can ask for a payment plan later. Lodging stops the 28-day clock.
File a non-lodgement advice if you did not need to lodge. It closes the loop.
Read the full story with the fine steps and a plain checklist on Rive News.
Get the full breakdown, key numbers, and what happens next.
Read on Rive News