Brisbane · CPA-qualified · Registered Tax & BAS Agents
Years behind? We've seen worse.
Overdue individual, sole trader, company and trust returns reconstructed and lodged in order — with penalties challenged and a payment arrangement if there's tax to pay.
What happens if you haven't lodged a tax return for years?
Penalties accrue, and eventually the ATO acts without you — default assessments based on its own data, which are almost always worse than a properly prepared return because they include income without your deductions. Failure-to-lodge penalties are charged in units per 28-day period per return. The important part: coming forward voluntarily changes the outcome materially. Many late lodgers are owed refunds and don't know it, and remission of penalties is regularly granted where there's a reasonable explanation. We routinely lodge five, seven and ten years at once.
- From $180 per outstanding year
- No judgement — this is routine work
- Penalty remission requested as standard
- Refunds recovered where they exist
Which tax return page do you need?
We keep separate pages because the work genuinely differs. Pick the closest and you'll get the detail that applies to you.
- Tax returns — overview Every return type, the process, fees and lodgement dates in one place.
- PAYG employees Salary and wages, work-related deductions, work-from-home and vehicle claims.
- Multiple income types Investments, franking credits, foreign income, offsets, levies and residency.
- Companies, trusts, partnerships Financial statements, tax reconciliation, Division 7A and distribution resolutions.
- Late or unlodged years — you're here Two or ten years behind: reconstruction, penalty remission and payment plans.
Why us
What you get working with us.
We reconstruct the years
ATO prefill, bank statements and whatever records exist are used to rebuild each year. Missing paperwork is a delay, not a dead end.
Lodged in the right order
Sequence matters — carried-forward losses, depreciation and capital losses only flow correctly if the years are lodged in order.
Penalties challenged
Written remission requests with evidence, lodged alongside the returns rather than after the penalty notices arrive.
The number is usually smaller
Most people overestimate what they owe. Several years of unclaimed deductions and offsets frequently change the total dramatically — sometimes into a refund.
Who it's for
Who this is for.
- Individuals two to ten years behind
- Sole traders who stopped lodging BAS and returns
- Companies with overdue returns and ASIC obligations
- Executors dealing with a deceased estate's returns
- People who left Australia and stopped lodging
- Anyone issued a default assessment
- People who received an ATO firmer-action letter
- Business owners with overdue returns blocking finance
Indicative fees
| Engagement | Indicative fee |
|---|---|
| Individual return, per outstanding year | from $180 |
| Sole trader return, per year | from $350 |
| Company or trust return, per year | from $800 |
| Penalty remission request | from $550 |
| Payment arrangement negotiation | from $650 |
Scope
What the engagement covers.
Position review
We obtain your full ATO lodgement and account history, so the first thing you get is facts instead of dread.
Reconstruction
Income and deductions rebuilt from prefill data, bank statements, employer records and any documents you still hold.
Sequential lodgement
Returns prepared and lodged year by year in order, with losses, depreciation and cost bases carried correctly.
Penalty remission
Remission requests for failure-to-lodge penalties and general interest charge, supported by your circumstances.
Payment arrangement
Where there's a balance, an arrangement negotiated that your cash flow can actually service.
Back on track
Instalments set sensibly, lodgement dates diarised, and a simple record-keeping process so this doesn't happen again.
FAQ
Questions we're asked most.
How many years back can I lodge?
All of them. There's no cut-off preventing you from lodging old returns, and the ATO expects outstanding years to be brought up to date. We commonly lodge five to ten years at once. Note that refunds for very old years can be affected by time limits in some circumstances — another reason not to wait longer.
What are the penalties for late lodgement?
Failure-to-lodge penalties are charged in units for each 28-day period a return is late, per return, up to a maximum — so several outstanding years add up. Remission is regularly granted where there's a reasonable explanation such as illness, family circumstances, natural disaster or financial hardship, particularly when you've come forward voluntarily.
I don't have any of my records. Can you still do it?
Usually. As your registered agent we access ATO prefill data — income statements, interest, dividends, share and crypto disposals, health insurance. Bank statements fill most of the rest. Deduction claims need whatever evidence exists, and we'll be straight with you about what can and can't be substantiated.
Will I be prosecuted?
Prosecution is rare and reserved for deliberate, sustained evasion — not for people who fell behind. Voluntary lodgement is exactly what the ATO wants and is treated accordingly. The risk rises the longer contact is avoided, and if a default assessment is issued.
What if I'm owed refunds?
It happens often, especially for PAYG employees with unclaimed deductions. Refunds from earlier years may be offset against any debt on your account first, but plenty of clients finish this process in credit rather than in debt.
I received a default assessment. Is it final?
No, but the burden shifts to you. Default assessments are based on ATO estimates and can generally be challenged by lodging proper returns and objecting within the statutory period. Act quickly — the timeframes are strict and the assessed amount is enforceable in the meantime.
Related
Related pages.
ATO Tax Debt Help Brisbane
Payment plans, penalty remission
Learn more →Tax Returns
Individual and business returns prepared accurately, lodged fast, with every deduction claimed.
Learn more →ATO Audit & Review Support Brisbane
Reviews, objections, disputes
Learn more →Personal Tax Return Accountant Brisbane
PAYG & individual returns
Learn more →Business Tax Return Accountant Brisbane
Company, trust, partnership
Learn more →BAS Agent & Lodgement Brisbane
GST, PAYG, extended due dates
Learn more →Local coverage across Brisbane
We work in person from our Wakerley office and by secure video across 200 suburbs. Start with your region:
- Accountants Brisbane CPA accountants for the wider Brisbane metro area.
- Accountants South Brisbane South Brisbane, West End, Annerley and Sunnybank.
- Accountants Brisbane Northside Chermside, Stafford, Aspley and the northern corridor.
- Accountants Brisbane Bayside Wynnum, Manly, Wakerley and Tingalpa.
- Accountants Redland City Cleveland, Capalaba, Victoria Point and the bay islands.
- Accountants Logan City Springwood, Beenleigh, Browns Plains and 50 Logan suburbs.
- Accountants Ipswich Ipswich CBD and the western Brisbane corridor.
Ready when you are
Late & Overdue Tax Returns Brisbane — let's talk.
Free 15-minute consultation and a fixed fee in writing. Mon–Fri 9am–5pm AEST.