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But common mistakes will lead to longer processing times, it says.
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ATO promises 12-day turnaround on error-free returns
06 June 2022
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9 minute read
The ATO has pledged to process most electronically lodged tax returns within 12 business days, but said delays are being caused by common mistakes.
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Tax agents and their clients needed to ensure information is correct, it said, because every year the ATO received inaccurate data that led to longer processing times.
Common errors occurred in basic information such as a client’s name, TFN and address, while private health insurance policy details were another area prone to slip-ups.
Lodging duplicate returns for the same year could also cause processing delays.
The ATO said that while mistakes did happen, submitting a second return was not how to fix it. Instead, tax agents should request to make an amendment and it was best to wait for the original lodgement to complete.
Repeating information that had already been included in a previously filled question or repeating non-relevant information from a previous year’s return could also slow the process.
The ATO said that if information had already been declared in a previous question there was no need to repeat it with additional information further in the return.
Tax agents should also ensure they had deleted information from a previous year’s return when rolling over details in their software, as unnecessary information could also cause longer processing times.
A client who has had issues with the ATO in the past could also cause delays, especially if the client had a debt with the ATO, if the client was insolvent or if the ATO had queries about information provided in the return.
By waiting for prefill information to be available, tax agents and clients could avoid delays and it helped to get the returns right the first time.
Prefilled information from the ATO was cross-checked with third parties, which meant tax agents could check that the information provided by their clients was correct, lowering the likelihood of discrepancies that stalled processing.
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