ATO late lodgement penalty: up to $364 per 28 days, capped at $1,820 per document · interest 11.43% p.a. compounding daily · See how to remit them →
The company deadline map
| Company situation | Return due |
|---|---|
| New registrant, first return | 28 February |
| Most small and medium companies via a tax agent, with a clean history | 15 May, with earlier program dates for some |
| Medium to large taxpayers with prior-year tax payable above thresholds | 15 January |
| Self-lodging companies with no agent | 31 October |
| Prior-year returns outstanding at 30 June | 31 October, because lateness cancels the agent extension. This is the trap that compounds backlogs |
Program dates vary with your lodgment history, so confirm the company's exact date in Online services or with your agent. Payment is generally due with, or shortly after, lodgment for most small and medium businesses, but PAYG instalments mean most of the year's tax was prepaid quarterly. The return settles the balance, credits the franking account, and re-runs the 25% or 30% rate test.
What is different about a company return
It is full self-assessment. The company calculates its own tax, the assessment is deemed on lodgment, and review can come later, which makes the working papers (the reconciliation from accounting profit to taxable income) the document that decides audits.
The return also carries the year's structural declarations: base rate entity status, PSI questions, Division 7A loan disclosures, franking details and losses carried forward. Each is an annual answer, not a set-and-forget. It sits inside a stack of company obligations too: quarterly BAS, STP finalisation, TPAR for some industries and the ASIC annual review. A missed return usually signals the rest are slipping.
Late company lodgment: the escalation is steeper
The failure to lodge penalty applies at entity multipliers: up to $1,820 per document for a small entity, $3,640 for a medium entity and $9,100 for a large one, per return and per BAS, at the current $364 penalty unit.
The catch-up sequence mirrors the individual one: oldest first, with remission requests on the back of voluntary disclosure. Two company extras apply: the franking account and loan accounts get reconstructed along the way, and the ASIC register needs to match the story the returns tell.
Frequently asked questions
When is a company tax return due?
Do companies get a notice of assessment?
When does a company pay its tax?
What is the penalty for a late company tax return?
Can a dormant company skip lodging?
General information only - not personal tax, financial or legal advice. Consider your own circumstances or speak to a registered tax agent. Remission of penalties or interest and payment plans are decisions of the ATO and outcomes can't be guaranteed.