How to get organised before meeting your tax agent in Geelong

August 14, 2026

Getting organised before meeting your tax agent in Geelong can make preparing your individual tax return simpler, more accurate and less stressful. Bringing the right income information, deduction records and supporting documents helps your tax agent understand your circumstances, identify legitimate claims and prepare an accurate return that meets Australian Taxation Office (ATO) requirements.

You do not necessarily need to arrive with folders full of paperwork. Much of your income information may already be available to your registered tax agent through the ATO. The important part is knowing what information still needs to be checked, what records you need to provide and whether anything has changed during the financial year.

Check your income information is complete

A good place to start is by reviewing the income you received during the year.

Your employer generally reports salary, wages, tax withheld and other information through Single Touch Payroll. Once your employer finalises this information, your income statement will show as “Tax ready”. Registered tax agents can access information needed to help prepare your return.

However, pre-filled information should still be checked. The ATO advises taxpayers to make sure pre-fill information is correct and add anything that is missing.

Before your appointment, consider whether you received income from:

More than one employer
Bank interest
Shares or managed investments
Rental properties
Government payments
Foreign sources
Cryptocurrency or other investments
Freelance, contract or side-hustle activities

Having a clear picture of your income helps your tax agent identify information that may require further investigation.

Organise your tax deduction records

If you intend to claim tax deductions, organise the supporting records before your appointment.

For an employee to claim a work-related expense, the ATO’s general rules require that you spent the money yourself and were not reimbursed, the expense was directly related to earning your income and you have a record to support the claim. If an expense has both work and private use, only the work-related portion can generally be claimed.

Depending on your circumstances, relevant records might include receipts or information relating to:

Work-related vehicle expenses
Work travel
Working from home
Tools and equipment
Uniforms and protective clothing
Professional memberships and union fees
Work-related self-education
Gifts and donations
Investment-related expenses

Rather than simply bringing a total figure, keep the records and calculations that explain how you arrived at your claim.

Don’t assume the $300 rule means no records are required

A common tax-time misunderstanding involves the $300 work-related expense threshold.

If your total work-related expense claim is $300 or less, you may not always need written evidence such as receipts or invoices. However, you still need to be able to explain how you calculated the claim, and different evidence rules can apply to certain expenses.

If total work-related deductions exceed $300, written evidence is generally required for the full claim rather than only the amount above $300.

Your tax agent can help determine which evidence requirements apply to your particular expenses.

Gather information about investments and assets

If you own investments, bring the relevant information to your appointment.

For shares and managed investments, this may include dividend statements, distribution statements and annual tax statements. Investment records can contain information about distributions, capital gains or losses, foreign income and credits such as franking credits.

You should also tell your tax agent if you sold or otherwise disposed of assets during the year. This may include shares, investment property or cryptocurrency. A disposal can have capital gains tax implications even when you have not thought of the transaction as ordinary income.

Providing this information early gives your tax agent more opportunity to determine the appropriate tax treatment.

Bring details of any changes in your circumstances

Your tax return is not necessarily the same from one year to the next.

Tell your tax agent about significant changes that may affect your return. For example, you may have:

Started or changed jobs
Begun working from home
Bought or sold investments
Started earning income from a side activity
Received foreign income
Made deductible personal super contributions
Purchased an investment property
Sold an asset that may be subject to capital gains tax

Even when you are unsure whether something is relevant, mentioning it during your appointment allows your tax agent to determine whether it needs to be included.

Use digital records to make tax time easier

Good tax return preparation begins long before your appointment.

The ATO’s myDeductions tool allows individuals to keep records of expenses and income and store photos of receipts. Electronic copies of receipts may also be acceptable where they are a true and clear reproduction of the original.

Records stored in myDeductions can also be shared with a tax agent.

Whether you use the ATO app, accounting software, spreadsheets or organised digital folders, having one consistent system can make it much easier to find information when tax time arrives.

Keep your records after your tax return is lodged

Getting organised does not finish when your tax agent lodges your return.

The ATO generally requires taxpayers to retain records supporting deduction claims for five years from the date the tax return is lodged.

Keeping your records securely means you can substantiate your claims if the ATO requests further information later.

It is also worth keeping your records organised by financial year rather than starting again from scratch each tax season.

A simple checklist before your tax appointment

Before meeting your tax agent in Geelong, check that you have considered:

All sources of income
Work-related expense records
Receipts and supporting calculations
Investment and dividend statements
Details of assets sold during the year
Donations and other potentially deductible expenses
Relevant changes to your personal or financial circumstances
Questions you would like to discuss with your accountant

Not every item will apply to every taxpayer. Your tax agent can help determine what is relevant based on your circumstances.

Make your next tax appointment easier

A little preparation can make a significant difference at tax time. Complete records help your tax agent understand your financial position, check deductions and prepare an accurate individual tax return.

CD&G Accountants provides taxation services for individuals in Geelong, with practical advice tailored to each client’s circumstances. If you’re preparing your next tax return and would like professional assistance, contact CD&G Accountants to arrange an appointment.