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Payroll tax

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Annual returns

The annual return is a breakdown of the past year’s payroll tax, and is used to confirm or adjust your liability.

You must lodge an annual return by 21 July each year for the previous financial year and pay any outstanding amounts. If you have overpaid tax for the year, we will send you a refund or apply the amount to other liabilities you may have. You can lodge your annual return online through OSRconnect.

Lodging annual returns

At the end of a financial year, you must:

  • lodge an annual return for taxable wages paid or payable during the year
  • compare the sum of the wages in your periodic returns with your annual wages
  • pay any outstanding amounts (called your ‘annual liability’) by 21 July.

Note: Any taxable wages for the June period are to be included in the annual return. You do not need to lodge a separate periodic return that includes the month of June.

If you have lodged a final return during the year, you still need to lodge an annual return. We will not take into account any wages paid for the period stated in the final return when working out your annual liability.

Calculating your annual liability or refund

If you lodge your annual return online, your annual deductions and liability or refund will be automatically calculated.

You can also use the annual liability calculator to calculate your liability or refund before lodging your annual return.

Do you need help completing your annual return?

Non-grouped employers

You will need the following information to calculate your annual payroll tax liability:

  • Queensland taxable wages
  • interstate wages.

Grouped employer

Each group member must lodge an annual return.  If you are in a group, but are not the DGE, you are not usually entitled to a deduction. 

You will need the following information to calculate your annual payroll tax:

  • Queensland taxable wages
  • interstate wages

Designated group employer

If you are the designated group employer (DGE) on 30 June, you will need:

  • your Queensland taxable wages
  • the total group Queensland taxable wages
  • your interstate wages
  • the total group interstate wages

If you were not the DGE for the whole year, your annual return will only cover the part of the year that you were a DGE as you should have submitted a final return when your status changed.

If your annual deduction is greater than your own taxable wages, you can nominate other members of your group to share the excess. If you do not nominate anyone, the Commissioner can decide which group member will receive this amount.

If a refund of payroll tax is due at the end of the financial year, we will process the refund when we receive your return.

Example

This example uses group Australian taxable wages for $1,789,776 and group Queensland taxable wages of $1,356,789.

 

Top call centre questions

Can I have more time to pay my periodic, annual, or final payroll tax liability?

You must pay payroll tax when it is due and, as a rule, we do not grant extensions.

If you are experiencing extreme financial difficulties, contact us before the date your return or assessment is due.

Unpaid tax interest will start to accrue if a payroll tax return is lodged and paid late. Penalty tax may also apply if you do not lodge a return by the due date.

I accidentally underpaid tax in a previous periodic return. Should I adjust this in my next periodic return?

No. Notify us in writing as soon as you become aware of the error and tell us how it occurred. We will reassess your payroll tax for that period using the correct figure for your taxable wages. You should pay any amount owing as soon as possible, as unpaid tax interest will be accruing daily.

If the error was in a periodic return during a previous financial year, we will reassess your liability for that year (and/or for the particular period), using the correct figure for your taxable wages.

I overpaid payroll tax in my last periodic return. Can I claim a refund?

Yes. Claim a refund within 5 years of the date of the overpayment in writing, outlining:

  • how the overpayment occurred
  • the amount of wages included in error
  • the return period in which you overpaid tax.

If we approve the refund, we may:

  • send you a cheque
  • apply the amount to your current payroll tax or revenue liability
  • hold the amount for liability arising within 60 days.

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Last reviewed 30 April 2012

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