Will you get a tax refund on a working holiday visa? Often not a big one. On a 417 or 462 visa you pay 15% from your first dollar up to AUD 45,000, and an employer registered for working holiday makers withholds exactly that, so the tax taken from your pay usually matches what you owe. Real money comes back when too much was withheld, usually by an employer who isn’t registered and took 30%, or when you have work expenses to claim.
Short version
- The rate: 15% up to AUD 45,000, then 30% up to AUD 135,000, for 2025-26 and 2026-27. No tax-free threshold.
- Refunds come from over-withholding or deductions. An unregistered employer withholds 30%, and no TFN means 45%.
- You may not need to lodge at all if all your income was wages and your taxable income was under AUD 45,001.
- Lodging yourself is free with myTax. Refunds generally land within 2 weeks, and only into an Australian bank account.
- Missed the deadline? If you’re owed a refund, the ATO generally doesn’t fine a late return. Lodge now.
- Super is a separate claim (the DASP), made once you’ve left.
Do working holiday makers get a tax refund?
Since 1 January 2017, income you earn on a 417 or 462 visa is taxed at the working holiday maker rates. There’s no tax-free threshold: on the tax file number declaration for each job, you tick the working holiday maker box and answer No to the tax-free threshold.
| Taxable income (2025-26) | Tax on this income |
|---|---|
| AUD 0 to 45,000 | 15c for each AUD 1 |
| AUD 45,001 to 135,000 | AUD 6,750 plus 30c for each AUD 1 over 45,000 |
| AUD 135,001 to 190,000 | AUD 33,750 plus 37c for each AUD 1 over 135,000 |
| AUD 190,001 and over | AUD 54,100 plus 45c for each AUD 1 over 190,000 |
The ATO’s working holiday maker tax table for pay from 1 July 2026 uses the same rates and thresholds for 2026-27.
So where does a refund come from?
Employers must register with the ATO to withhold at 15%. One that isn’t registered withholds 30% on everything up to AUD 135,000, and with no TFN it’s 45%. Your return squares it all up. Four typical years (rough figures, wages only):
| Your year | At tax time |
|---|---|
| AUD 30,000 from registered employers | Tax AUD 4,500, withheld AUD 4,500. No refund, and no need to lodge. |
| AUD 20,000 from registered employers plus AUD 10,000 from an unregistered farm | Withheld AUD 6,000, tax AUD 4,500. Refund about AUD 1,500. |
| AUD 30,000 from registered employers, plus AUD 400 spent on steel caps, hi-vis and gloves | Taxable income AUD 29,600, tax AUD 4,440. Refund about AUD 60. |
| Two registered jobs paying AUD 30,000 each | AUD 9,000 withheld, but tax on AUD 60,000 is AUD 11,250. You owe about AUD 2,250. |
That last one catches people out. Each employer applies 15% to the first AUD 45,000 it pays you, so two or three jobs that add up to more than that can leave you with a bill rather than a refund.
Do you even need to lodge a tax return?
Maybe not. The ATO’s working holiday makers page says you don’t need to lodge a return or a non-lodgment advice if all your income was salary or wages earned as a working holiday maker and your taxable income was less than AUD 45,001.
Lodge anyway if an employer withheld more than 15%, or if you have deductions: the ATO says you need to lodge to claim any.
Residency for tax, in plain English
myTax asks whether you were an Australian resident for tax purposes. For most working holiday makers it doesn’t change the rate: the WHM rates apply either way. The exception is nationals of the non-discrimination article (NDA) countries who were also Australian residents: Chile, Finland, Germany, Israel, Japan, Norway, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Ireland isn’t on the list.
The ATO’s longstanding view is that working holiday makers are foreign residents. One of its own examples is an Irish couple who rented a Sydney apartment for 6 months and worked in the same bar: still foreign residents, because they were visitors. You may become a resident from the point your purpose changes, for example when you commit to staying on a sponsored or permanent visa.
Irish and British passports? The NDA rule goes on nationality, and the UK is on the list. It only helps if you were also an Australian resident for tax purposes, which most working holiday makers aren’t. If you think it applies, talk to a registered tax agent before you lodge.
Do working holiday makers pay the Medicare levy?
Usually not. The levy is 2% of taxable income, but foreign residents aren’t required to pay it, and if you were a foreign resident for the full year you claim a full exemption on your return. If you were an Australian resident for any part of the year, it can apply for that period, so get advice from a registered agent. For health cover, see does Medicare cover Irish people in Australia.
How to lodge your tax return with myTax
Lodging through myTax is free and works on your phone. You need:
- A myGov account linked to the ATO. Lodging from Ireland? Set up a sign-in that works overseas (the ATO recommends a Digital ID such as myID) before you go.
- Income statements marked “Tax ready”. Employers have until 14 July to finalise them, and myTax pre-fills most details by late July.
- Your Australian bank account (BSB and account number) and receipts for anything you’re claiming.
- Sign in to myGov, select the ATO, then Manage tax returns.
- Check every job is there. If one is missing or wrong, contact that employer.
- Answer the residency questions, then add your deductions.
- Check your bank details and lodge. The ATO says refunds generally arrive within 2 weeks.
Leaving Australia before 30 June
- Lodge early, on paper. The ATO accepts an early return if you’re leaving permanently and won’t earn any more Australian income (other than interest, dividends or royalties). It must be the paper form, it takes 50 business days to process, and you need a payment summary from each employer or your income statements. Payslips aren’t enough.
- Or lodge online from home after 1 July. You can lodge with myTax from overseas in the normal 1 July to 31 October window. A family member can lodge for you, but if they sign on your behalf you need a power of attorney.
Getting your refund once you’ve gone home
The ATO only pays refunds into an Australian bank account, held by you or by your registered tax agent. So keep your account open until your refund and your super have landed. If the ATO has no account details for you, it can hold an income tax refund for up to 90 days while it asks for one, then sends a cheque.
Then move it home with CurrencyFair or Wise rather than at your bank’s rate. Our money transfer guide compares them.
Missed the deadline? What happens if you lodge late
If you lodge yourself, your return is due by 31 October, or the next business day when that’s a weekend. For 2025-26 that made it Monday 2 November 2026. Missed it?
- You’re owed a refund (or it comes out at nil): the ATO says it generally won’t issue a failure to lodge penalty, unless one was already applied before you lodged. Your refund only comes once you lodge, so do it now.
- You owe tax: the penalty can be one penalty unit (AUD 364 from 1 July 2026) for every 28 days late, up to 5 units, so AUD 1,820 at most. The ATO says it generally doesn’t penalise an isolated late return and warns you first. Interest can apply to anything unpaid after 21 November.
Using a registered tax agent? Agents have a lodgment program that lets them lodge after 31 October, but the ATO says a new client needed to contact them before 31 October to be part of it. An agent can still lodge for you now; ask them what your due date is.
Never lodged for an older year? myTax handles prior year returns back to 2016.
Deductions you can claim (and the ones you can’t)
The ATO’s three rules: you spent the money and weren’t reimbursed, it directly relates to earning your income, and you have a record (usually a receipt). Common claims for working holiday jobs:
- Protective clothing and footwear: steel-capped or rubber boots, hi-vis vests, gloves, UPF-rated sun protection clothing, heavy-duty wet-weather gear and overalls.
- A compulsory uniform that identifies your employer (such as a logo shirt), and washing it: AUD 1 a load for work clothes only, 50c for a mixed load. See the clothing rules.
- Protective gear: hard hats, safety glasses, earplugs, and sunscreen, sunhats and sunglasses if you work outdoors for long stretches.
- Tools and equipment. Items costing AUD 300 or less (and not part of a dearer set) are claimed in the year you buy them.
- Renewing a licence or card you need for the job, such as an RSA or forklift licence.
- Phone and data for work use, union fees, travel directly between two jobs on the same day, and last year’s registered tax agent fee.
What you can’t claim:
- getting your first licence, card or certificate to land a job (the ATO’s examples include the RSA and a forklift licence)
- everyday clothes, even if the boss insists: a bartender’s black trousers and white shirt, or jeans
- your commute, your driver’s licence, or relocating for a new job (such as moving for farm work)
- food during normal working hours, prescription glasses, or anything your employer paid for or paid you back.
Be realistic: at 15%, every AUD 100 you claim cuts your tax by about AUD 15. For 2025-26 you can claim up to AUD 300 of work expenses without receipts, as long as you can show how you worked it out.
From 1 July 2026, keep every receipt. That AUD 300 exception is gone. The new AUD 1,000 standard deduction starts in 2026-27, but only for Australian residents for tax purposes, so most working holiday makers won’t get it.
The ATO’s occupation guides cover hospitality, construction, agriculture and more. Doing your 88 days of regional work? Read the agriculture one.
Do it yourself or use a registered tax agent?
One or two jobs with all your income statements there? myTax is free and quick. An agent earns their fee when you had lots of jobs, details are missing, you’ve left, you’re lodging late or for older years, or you’re unsure about residency.
- Only registered tax agents can charge a fee. Check anyone on the Tax Practitioners Board register.
- Ask what it costs, and how your refund will reach you, before you sign up.
- The fee is generally deductible in the year you pay it, so it goes on next year’s return.
- Never share your myGov sign-in, not even with your agent. The ATO is clear on that.
Super is a separate claim
Super your employers paid in is claimed after you’ve left Australia and your visa has ended, as a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP). For working holiday makers it’s taxed at 65%, but it can still be worth more than your tax refund. Our guide to claiming your super back walks you through it.
Watch out for ATO scams
The ATO says it will never ask you to pay a fee to receive your tax refund, send an unsolicited SMS with a link, ask for your TFN, bank details or myGov login by email, or threaten you with arrest. Real ATO emails come from addresses ending in ato.gov.au. The ATO scam alerts page lists the latest. Forward anything dodgy to [email protected], and if you’ve clicked or paid, ring the ATO on 1800 008 540.
Next job? Get the tax right from day one
- Get a tax file number. Apply online once you’re in Australia. It’s free and arrives by post within 28 days.
- On the TFN declaration, tick the working holiday maker box (question 8) and answer No to the tax-free threshold (question 9).
- Ask if the employer is registered for working holiday makers. If not, they have to take 30%.
- Check myGov: your income statement should show your pay, the tax withheld and your super.
Just landed? See the first week in Australia checklist and our job board. Heading home? Work through what to do when you’re leaving Australia.
Stuck on a tax question? Someone in our Irish groups has been through it, from an unregistered employer to lodging from home in Ireland. Join your local group and ask.
FAQ
Do backpackers get a tax refund in Australia?
Only if more tax was withheld than you owe, or you have deductions. With registered employers withholding 15% from your first dollar, the two usually match.
What is the tax rate on a 417 visa?
15% up to AUD 45,000, 30% to AUD 135,000, 37% to AUD 190,000 and 45% above that, for both 2025-26 and 2026-27.
Do I have to lodge a tax return on a working holiday visa?
Not if all your income was wages and your taxable income was under AUD 45,001. Lodge anyway to claim deductions or get back over-withheld tax.
Should I say I was an Australian resident for tax purposes?
Answer honestly using the ATO’s residency guidance; its view is that most working holiday makers are foreign residents. If Irish is your only nationality, your tax rate is the same either way, but residency affects the Medicare levy.
Can I lodge my Australian tax return from Ireland?
Yes, online with myTax, using a myGov sign-in that works overseas. To ring the ATO from abroad, call +61 2 6216 1111.
Can my tax refund go into an Irish bank account?
No. The ATO only pays refunds into an Australian bank account, yours or your registered tax agent’s.
I missed the 31 October deadline. Will I be fined?
If your return results in a refund or nil, the ATO generally won’t issue a late lodgment penalty. Lodge as soon as you can.
How long does a tax refund take?
Online returns are generally refunded within 2 weeks. An early paper return takes about 50 business days.
Checked November 2026 against the ATO’s working holiday maker, tax rate, residency, Medicare levy, lodgment, refund, deduction, penalty and scam pages, and the TPB register.
Some links on this page are affiliate links, which means Irish Around Oz may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
