Situations we sort out
A wrong return is fixable. Fix it on the front foot.
Errors and omissions happen — data matching finds them, honesty finds them sooner. A correction lodged properly, with the evidence retained, turns a worry back into an ordinary tax matter.
Most amendment work starts one of two ways: you found the mistake, or the ATO's data matching found it first and a letter is asking about it. Either way, the return as lodged no longer matches the facts — bank interest missed, a distribution overlooked, income from a platform that never made it in, a deduction claimed twice. The correction is ordinary work. Doing nothing is the only poor option.
Timing matters in two ways. First, a correction volunteered before the ATO raises the issue puts you in a stronger position than one extracted afterwards — the same fix reads differently on their file. Second, time limits apply to amendments and they differ by circumstances, so we confirm yours with the ATO before anything is prepared. Neither point is a reason to panic. Both are reasons not to wait.
The work itself is evidence work. We establish what the correct figures are — from statements, records and, where needed, reconstruction — prepare the amendment, and lodge it with the reasoning retained. The file then explains both the error and the fix, which is exactly what you want on record if the year is ever looked at again.
What brings people here
- A data-matching letter about income the taxpayer had genuinely forgotten.
- Self-amendments made in a hurry that stack a second error on the first.
- Known mistakes sat on for months out of embarrassment, when volunteering the fix was the stronger move.
- Sound deductions abandoned in a panic because a letter arrived.
How a correction runs
The error measured
We establish from records exactly what is wrong and what the correct figures are. Sometimes the mistake is smaller than feared; occasionally it is not the only one.
Time limits confirmed
Amendment periods apply and differ by circumstances. We confirm what applies to your year before anything is prepared, so the pathway chosen is actually open.
The right channel chosen
A standard amendment is not the only mechanism for putting a year right. We choose the proper route on the facts and document why.
Prepared, lodged, retained
The correction is prepared with its supporting evidence, lodged, and kept with the workings — the year ends up better documented than it started.
Data-matching letters answered
If the ATO has already written, the reply and the correction run as one coordinated exercise, in writing, with your authority.
The cause repaired
If the error came from a system — exchange records, platform income, a rental spreadsheet — we fix the system so next year does not repeat it.
An amendment from this office carries the evidence for the new figures and a documented account of why the old ones were wrong — a file that withstands the second look it may invite. See our method →
Common questions
I left out income from a side platform. How bad is it?
Usually less dramatic than the letter or the guilt suggests. Platforms, banks and employers report to the ATO, which is how these things surface — and it is also why the correct figures can generally be established with confidence. We reconcile the records, quantify the real difference, and lodge the correction with the evidence behind it. The position becomes measured instead of imagined, which is the point.
Is it better to fix it before the ATO contacts me?
As a general rule, yes. A correction you volunteer sits differently on the ATO's file from one they had to raise, and that difference can matter to how the aftermath is treated. It also lets the correction be prepared carefully rather than under a response date. If a letter has already arrived, the same principle applies in miniature: engage properly now rather than later.
How long do I have to amend a return?
Time limits apply and they differ by circumstances — the type of taxpayer and the situation both matter, and the answer changes what pathway is available. We confirm the limits that apply to your specific year with the ATO before anything is lodged, rather than working from a rule of thumb. If a standard amendment is no longer open, other proper channels may be, and we advise on those in writing.
The mistake was in my favour — I paid too much. Can that be fixed too?
Corrections run in both directions. If the evidence shows income was overstated or a deduction was missed, the same amendment process puts the year right, subject to the same time limits. The standard does not change because the money moves your way: we amend when the records support the new figure, and the workings are kept on file either way.
Will amending my return trigger an audit?
No one can promise you it will or will not — amendment activity is simply information the ATO sees, like everything else it holds. What we can control is what an enquiry would find: a documented correction, evidence for the new figures, and a clear account of what happened. A return fixed properly has little to fear from a second look. A known error left standing is the riskier file.
My previous accountant made the error. What should I do?
The return is still yours, so it still needs correcting — that part does not change with who prepared it. With your authority we obtain the lodged return and the ATO's records, establish what went wrong, and fix it with the reasoning documented. What you do about the previous relationship is your decision; our job is to leave the year standing on evidence.
General information only — not tax, legal or financial advice. Advice specific to your circumstances is provided within a signed engagement.
Related reading
Speak to the person who signs the return.
Consultations are with a registered tax agent — by phone or video, wherever you are in Australia.