Tax Time Records: Do Not Rush Your Clinic Return

The ATO published a Tax Time 2026 update on 15 July.

It said this is one of the busiest weeks for ATO phone demand. It also said pre-fill information is still building, with many third-party records now available.

For physio clinic owners, the message is simple.

Do not rush tax work with messy records.

Tax time is not just one return

A clinic owner may have more than one tax job.

There may be:

• the clinic business tax return
• your personal tax return
• company or trust records
• payroll records
• BAS records
• super records
• loan interest records
• motor vehicle records
• equipment purchase records

If these records are not ready, the tax work takes longer. It can also lead to missed claims or wrong numbers.

Wait for the right information

The ATO update said tax time is moving well, but pre-fill data continues to flow through.

That matters because some income, interest, dividend, and other data may not be ready on day one.

For clinic owners, this does not mean you should wait forever.

It means you should avoid guessing.

If a number is not ready, mark it as missing. Ask your accountant what is safe to use and what should wait.

Get the clinic file clean first

Before your accountant starts, check the basics in your accounting file.

Look for:

• uncoded bank transactions
• personal spending in the clinic account
• wages not matched to payroll
• super payments not matched
• equipment purchases coded as small supplies
• loan payments coded as expenses
• GST errors
• old unpaid invoices that may be bad debts

These are common in small clinics. They are also easier to fix before the return is prepared.

Keep payroll and super records close

Tax time often shows payroll problems.

Check that staff wages, PAYG withholding, and super records match the payroll reports.

If a staff member changed from contractor to employee, make sure the records are clear. If you use casual staff, check the pay categories. If you paid bonuses or extra hours, check they were recorded correctly.

This is boring work. But it stops bigger questions later.

Make a simple tax folder

Create one folder for this year.

Add:

• bank loan statements
• finance contracts
• equipment invoices
• lease documents
• insurance invoices
• payroll reports
• super payment reports
• motor vehicle records
• accountant letters
• any ATO notices

A clean folder saves time. It also makes it easier to answer questions without digging through emails.

What to do this week

Do not rush to lodge just to get tax time out of the way.

Spend one hour cleaning the clinic records first. List what is missing. Send the clean file and the missing list to your accountant.

That is a better start than a fast, messy handover.

Source: ATO, “Tax Time 2026 update - 15 July”.