iscover ATO announces tax time changes for TPAR data
TaxAmounts reported to the ATO through the taxable payments annual report will now be pre-filled in the tax returns of contractors providing certain services.
The ATO has announced a change to 2026 tax returns for contractors that provide taxable payments reporting system (TPRS) services.
In a recent update, the ATO said that for contractors providing TPRS services, amounts reported to the ATO through the taxable payments annual report (TPAR) will now be pre-filled in their tax return.
“Pre-fill securely imports verified data into your return and reduces manual entry, helping you get things right the first time,” the ATO said.
The ATO said contractors can check, update, and confirm any pre-filled information before they lodge.
“If you change a pre-filled amount, you will be asked to select a short reason code explaining why,” it said.
The Tax Office said that most of the TPAR data will only be available after 28 August and advised contractors providing TPRS services to lodge after this date instead.
“Lodging in July or early August means this information may not appear yet. This could lead to omissions, the need for amendments, and repayment of refunds later,” it said.
“Lodging after 28 August gives you the best experience and reduces risk of errors.”
Under the taxable payments reporting system (TPRS), the ATO reminded businesses that they may lodge a taxable payments annual report (TPAR) to report payments made to contractors that provide certain services.
These services include:
- building and construction
- cleaning
- courier
- information technology (IT)
- road freight
- security, investigation, or surveillance.
“If you work as a contractor providing any of these services, remember to include all your income on your tax return,” the ATO said.
The ATO said that registered tax agents can use the ATO’s pre-filling service to include these payments in their clients’ tax returns.
The Tax Office said that collecting information about contractor payments in the TPAR helps it identify contractors that are not meeting their tax obligations.
“That way we can let them know and help them correctly report their income,” the ATO said.
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Miranda Brownlee
Miranda Brownlee is the editor of Accountants Daily and Accounting Times, the leading sources of news, insight, and educational content for professionals in the accounting sector.
Miranda has over a decade of experience reporting on the financial services and accounting sectors, working on a range of publications including SMSF Adviser, Investor Daily and ifa.