Employees Preparing to Lodge
Check your payslip totals against your myGov income statement before you lodge, so any discrepancy is caught early.
Payslip for Tax Return in Australia: What You Need and How to Organize Your Records
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Use this to produce or reconstruct accurate payslips for your own records. It does not replace your ATO income statement, which is what your tax return actually uses.
Every EOFY, a lot of Australians go looking for a payslip for tax return purposes, assuming they need to hand payslips over to lodge. In practice, your tax return is pre-filled from data the ATO already has through Single Touch Payroll, not from payslips you submit. What payslips actually do is let you check that pre-filled figure is correct, and give you a record to fall back on if a question ever comes up. This page explains how payslips, your myGov income statement, and PAYG withholding fit together, and how to get your records in order before you lodge.
DO YOU NEED PAYSLIPS TO LODGE?
Do You Need Payslips to Lodge a Tax Return?
For most employees, no — not to actually lodge. Under Single Touch Payroll, employers report gross pay, tax withheld, and superannuation to the ATO every pay cycle. By the time you sit down to lodge, the ATO has already built a income statement for you, accessed through myGov, and most tax software or a tax agent will pre-fill your return directly from it.
What payslips are actually for at tax time is verification, not submission. Adding up your payslips and comparing the total to your income statement is the easiest way to catch a reporting error before it flows into your return. They're also useful evidence to keep on file if the ATO ever asks a question about your return later.
PAYSLIP VS INCOME STATEMENT
Payslip vs Income Statement
These two documents get confused constantly, mostly because the old paper PAYG payment summary — sometimes still called a group certificate — used to sit somewhere between them. That paper document has been phased out for most employers; the income statement is its replacement.
| Field | Payslip | Income Statement (myGov) |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | Your employer, each pay cycle | The ATO, from Single Touch Payroll data |
| Covers | One pay period | The full financial year, 1 July – 30 June |
| Where you find it | Payroll portal, email, or printed copy | myGov, under the ATO section |
| Used to lodge your return? | No — used to check figures | Yes — pre-fills most of your return |
| Replaces the old paper document | No | Yes — replaced the PAYG payment summary |
MANDATORY FIELDS
What Information Should a Payslip Include?
Under the Fair Work Act 2009 and Fair Work Regulations 2009, regulation 3.46 sets the minimum information every Australian payslip must show. The same figures — gross pay, tax withheld, and super — are what ultimately get reported to the ATO and appear on your income statement, which is exactly why a correct payslip and a correct income statement should always agree.
Most employer payroll systems also show year-to-date gross pay, tax and super on every payslip, which is the single most useful figure for checking your running total against your income statement without adding up every pay period by hand.
View Fair Work Ombudsman payslip guidance ↗Payslip Fields — Reg 3.46
Every payslip should include:
- Employer's name and ABN
- Employee's full name
- Pay period (start and end date)
- Date of payment
- Gross pay amount
- Net pay amount
- PAYG tax withheld
- Superannuation contributions + fund name
- Year-to-date gross, tax and super figures
- Any allowances, loadings, or overtime shown separately
WORKED EXAMPLE
Example: Reconciling Payslips Against an Income Statement
Daniel R. worked one job at Example Retail Pty Ltd for the whole 2025–26 financial year, paid fortnightly. Before lodging, they added up gross pay and tax withheld across all 26 payslips and compared it to the year-to-date figures on their finalised myGov income statement.
| Source | Gross Pay | Tax Withheld |
|---|---|---|
| Payslip totals (26 fortnights, added up) | $68,400.00 | $13,142.00 |
| myGov income statement (year-to-date, "Tax ready") | $68,400.00 | $13,142.00 |
✓ Figures match — safe to lodge using the pre-filled income statement.
If the two totals hadn't matched, the next step would be contacting payroll at Example Retail Pty Ltd before lodging, not adjusting either figure independently.
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
Organizing Payroll Records for EOFY
Follow these five steps in the lead-up to lodging, so your figures are checked and your records are organised before tax time gets busy.
Gather your payslips
Collect every payslip from 1 July to 30 June for each employer you worked for during the year, from payroll portals, email, or paper copies.
Check your income statement is finalised
Log in to myGov, open the ATO section, and confirm your income statement shows 'Tax ready' — usually by 14 July, sometimes a little later depending on the employer.
Reconcile the totals
Add up gross pay and PAYG tax withheld across your payslips for the year and compare to the year-to-date figures on your income statement.
Query any mismatch before lodging
If the numbers don't line up, contact payroll before you lodge — it's far easier to fix a reporting error beforehand than to amend a return afterwards.
File everything for five years
Keep payslips, your finalised income statement, and deduction receipts together. The ATO generally expects supporting records to be kept for five years from lodgement.
USE CASES
Who This Guide Is For
Employers & Payroll Teams
Produce accurate, Fair Work-compliant payslips throughout the year so year-end STP finalisation matches what staff have already seen.
People Missing Payslips
If payslips went missing during the year, reconstruct accurate records to check against your finalised income statement.
Sole Traders & Contractors
Understand why your tax return runs on invoices and business records instead of payslips, and what to keep on hand instead.
Multiple Employers in One Year
Reconcile payslips from each job separately against each employer's income statement before combining totals for your return.
First-Time Lodgers
New to the workforce or lodging for the first time? Understand what documents actually matter at tax time and which ones don't.
COMPLIANCE CONTEXT
How Payslips, PAYG and the ATO Fit Together
Payslips, PAYG withholding, and your income statement are three parts of the same system, not three separate obligations. Employers withhold tax under PAYG withholding rules, report it to the ATO through Single Touch Payroll, and show it on your payslip under Fair Work Regulations 2009, Reg 3.46. All three figures should always agree.
Payslips Support, They Don't Replace, the Income Statement
Your tax return is pre-filled from the ATO's own Single Touch Payroll data, not from payslips you provide. Payslips exist to let you verify that data is correct, and to give you a paper trail if a question comes up later.
Mandatory Payslip Fields
Fair Work Regulations 2009 (Reg 3.46) set the minimum information every payslip must show, including PAYG tax withheld and superannuation — the same figures that ultimately feed into your income statement.
Record-Keeping Obligations
The ATO generally requires records supporting your tax return to be kept for five years from the date of lodgement. This applies whether you're an employee keeping payslips or a sole trader keeping invoices and receipts.
PAYG Withholding
PAYG withholding is the running total of tax your employer deducts and remits to the ATO on your behalf throughout the year. Your tax return reconciles that running total against what you actually owe.
⚠️ This page is general information about how payslips relate to tax return preparation, not personal tax advice. Your individual circumstances — multiple employers, deductions, offsets, or business income — can change what's relevant to your return. For advice specific to your situation, consult a registered tax agent or the ATO directly at ato.gov.au ↗.
COMMON MISTAKES DURING TAX TIME
Common Mistakes During Tax Time
Lodging before the income statement is "Tax ready"
Lodging while your employer is still finalising STP data can mean your return is based on incomplete figures, which may require an amendment later.
Assuming payslips get submitted with your return
They don't. Your return draws from the ATO's own income statement. Payslips are for your own checking and records, not for attaching to a lodgement.
Not reconciling payslips against the income statement at all
Skipping this check means a payroll reporting error can flow straight into your tax return without you noticing.
Throwing away payslips once the year ends
Payslips remain useful evidence if the ATO ever queries your return, or if you need proof of income for something unrelated, like a loan application, later in the year.
Treating a sole trader's invoices like an employee's payslips
Business income and expenses are reported differently to salary and wages. A sole trader's tax return runs on business records, not a payslip or income statement.
Not following up a mismatch with payroll
If payslip totals and the income statement disagree, the fix is contacting the employer, not adjusting either document yourself.
If your PAYG figures look wrong on a payslip, see PAYG Withholding on Payslips Explained. Missing payslips from earlier in the year? See Lost Payslips in Australia — What to Do. Spotted an error on a payslip? See Payslip Errors in Australia — What to Do.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Payslip for Tax Return — Common Questions
Do I need payslips to lodge my tax return in Australia?
Not strictly, for most employees. Since Single Touch Payroll became standard, employers report pay and tax figures to the ATO each pay cycle, and your year-end income statement — accessed through myGov — pre-fills most of the salary and wage information on your tax return automatically. Payslips aren't submitted with your return. What they're for is checking that the pre-filled figure is correct and keeping a record in case the ATO asks a question later.
What is the difference between a payslip and an income statement?
A payslip is issued by your employer for a single pay period and shows that period's gross pay, tax withheld, and super. An income statement is generated by the ATO from data your employer reports through Single Touch Payroll, and shows your cumulative year-to-date figures for the whole financial year. Your income statement is what your tax return actually pulls from; your payslips are what let you check that figure is right.
What happened to the old payment summary or group certificate?
The paper PAYG payment summary, sometimes still called a group certificate, was phased out for most employers once Single Touch Payroll became mandatory. It has been replaced by the myGov income statement, which serves the same purpose but is generated automatically from data reported throughout the year rather than issued once at the end.
How do I know if my income statement is ready to use?
Log in to myGov, go to the ATO section, and check the status next to your income statement. It will show "Not tax ready" while your employer is still finalising the year, and "Tax ready" once finalised — usually by 14 July, though some employers finalise earlier or take a little longer. Lodging before it says "Tax ready" risks lodging with incomplete figures.
What should I do if my payslip totals don't match my income statement?
Contact your employer's payroll team before you lodge. A mismatch can mean a pay run wasn't reported correctly, a correction is still pending, or there's a simple data entry error. It's easier to fix before lodging than to amend a return afterwards.
Do sole traders and freelancers need payslips for their tax return?
No — a sole trader isn't an employee of their own business, so there's no payslip to speak of. Sole traders report business income and expenses directly on their tax return using their own invoices, receipts, and bank records, not a payslip or income statement.
How long should I keep my payslips and income statement?
The ATO generally requires records that support your tax return to be kept for five years from the date you lodge. Keeping payslips alongside your finalised income statement and any deduction receipts in one place makes this easy to satisfy.
What if my employer never gave me payslips during the year?
You're still entitled to them under the Fair Work Act 2009, and you should request them in writing. Your income statement will usually still generate correctly from Single Touch Payroll reporting even without payslips in hand, but payslips remain your best record for checking that reporting is accurate.
Does PAYG withholding on my payslip affect my tax refund?
Yes. PAYG withholding is tax your employer takes out of each pay and sends to the ATO on your behalf, based on the tax tables for your income and any declarations you've made, such as a tax file number declaration. At tax time, the ATO compares total tax withheld against your actual tax payable for the year — if more was withheld than you owe, you get a refund; if less, you have a bill.
RELATED TOOLS
Related Payroll Tools
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Whether you're an employee checking your figures, an employer preparing accurate records, or catching up on missing pay records, this payslip for tax return tool helps you produce clear, compliant payslips to reconcile against your income statement. Free to preview. PDF from $4.99. No account required.
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