Australia Company Tax Return — CTR, BAS & ASIC Lodgement

Establish the company's profile: ACN, ABN, income year (1 July – 30 June), registered office, directors, and whether the company is a base rate entity (turnover < $50M, passive income ≤ 80%). Determine whether it is a small business entity (aggregated turnover < $10M) to unlock SBE concessions such as the $20,000 instant asset write-off and simplified depreciation pool. Identify any related-party structures, trusts, or consolidated groups that affect the return.

Close off the accounts to 30 June and prepare financial statements compliant with AASB standards. Large proprietary companies (revenue ≥ $50M, assets ≥ $25M, or employees ≥ 100 — satisfying 2 of 3 criteria under s.45A Corporations Act) must prepare Tier 1 or Tier 2 (AASB 1060 Simplified Disclosures) financial statements and lodge Form 388 with ASIC within 4 months of year-end. Perform standard year-end adjustments: depreciation (AASB 116), provisions (AASB 137), employee benefits including long service leave (AASB 119), expected credit losses (AASB 9), inventory at lower of cost and NRV (AASB 102), and deferred tax (AASB 112).

Compute taxable income by reconciling accounting profit to the tax return. Add back non-deductible items (entertainment, penalties, private expenses) and deduct tax-specific concessions (immediate asset write-offs, R&D tax offset, capital allowances under Division 40 and 43). Apply the correct corporate tax rate: 25% for base rate entities or 30% for all others. Compute any R&D tax incentive claim (43.5% refundable offset for companies with aggregated turnover < $20M; 38.5% non-refundable for others), and check franking account balance.

Reconcile and finalise all quarterly Business Activity Statements for the income year. Confirm PAYG withholding (labels W1–W5) agrees with Single Touch Payroll Phase 2 (STP2) year-to-date totals. Review PAYG income tax instalment labels (T1–T9): verify the instalment income base and check whether any quarterly variations were properly lodged to avoid the general interest charge (GIC). Confirm superannuation guarantee (SG) payments of 11.5% for 2024–25 were paid to employees' funds within 28 days of each quarter-end (due dates: 28 Oct, 28 Jan, 28 Apr, 28 Jul).

Assemble and review the Company Tax Return (CTR) in the ATO's Online Services for Agents portal. Complete all relevant schedules: the standard items (income, deductions, tax losses), the dividend and interest schedule (if applicable), the international dealings schedule (Schedule 25A) for any cross-border transactions, and the research and development schedule if an R&D offset is claimed. Apply the corporate tax rate and confirm any PAYG instalment credits. Typical agent lodgement deadline for 30 June year-end companies is 15 May 2026 under the ATO tax agent lodgement programme (earlier deadlines apply for large/early-lodgement clients).