Australian Tax Office warns of myGov scams and issues tax‑time filing guidance

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) has issued a broad alert urging people to be vigilant against fraudsters impersonating the agency in myGov communications. The ATO says most scams arrive via email, SMS or phone calls that contain links to fake myGov pages and may claim issues with tax returns, superannuation or cryptocurrency. It stresses that genuine ATO messages will never ask recipients to provide personal details or log in through an unsolicited link, and advises checking caller IDs and using the ATO app’s verification feature.

Separately, tax expert Dr Connie Vitale of Western Sydney University reminded Australians that the 2025‑26 financial year runs from 1 July to 30 June and that self‑prepared returns must be lodged by 31 October. She recommends linking the ATO app to a MyGov account, keeping records of income, deductions, and work‑from‑home expenses, and noting that interest charges from 1 July 2025 are no longer tax‑deductible. Failure to lodge on time can attract penalties and interest charges. The ATO also advises taxpayers who are not required to lodge to submit a non‑lodgement advice form.