Do I Need to Lodge an ABN Tax Return? (The Straight Answer)

If you’ve got an ABN, you’ve probably already discovered there’s a lot of confusing, contradictory advice floating around. Some people say you “only lodge if you earned over $18,200.” Others claim you don’t need to lodge “if it’s just a side hustle.” And then there’s always one genius who says, “Just don’t lodge anything — the ATO will never know.”

Let’s be blunt.

If you have an ABN, the ATO expects a tax return from you.
Every. Single. Year.

No loopholes. No exceptions. Just the truth — explained properly below.

Yes — You Must Lodge a Tax Return With an ABN

Having an ABN means you’re running a business in the eyes of the ATO. And businesses must report income — even if the income is tiny, inconsistent, or non-existent.

If you have an ABN, you lodge. End of story.

Why You Must Lodge Even With $0 Income

This shocks many new ABN holders.

You must lodge a tax return even if you earned nothing.

Why?
Because if you don’t lodge, the ATO assumes you might be hiding income or avoiding tax. They can even issue a “default assessment,” which is a fancy way of saying:

“We’ll just guess how much you owe — and our guess won’t be kind.”

A $0 ABN return takes minutes through GoTax.

Do I Need to Lodge If I Have a Job AND an ABN?

Absolutely.

Your job income gets lodged as usual.
Your ABN income (or loss) gets added on top.

The ATO then taxes the combined amount.

This is why people get tax bills — ignoring ABN income means missing deductions and setting yourself up for a shock.

If you earned ABN income, you must lodge the business schedule.

Do I Need to Lodge If My ABN Made a Loss?

Yes — and this is where many people miss out.

If your ABN expenses were higher than your ABN income, you made a business loss. In many cases, that loss reduces the tax you pay on your wages.

Translation:
Lodging can actually increase your refund.

Do I Need to Lodge If I Only Did 1–2 Jobs?

Yes.

Even $50 of ABN income goes on your tax return.
There is no minimum threshold.

What Happens If I Don’t Lodge?

Short version: nothing good.

Long version:

• Penalties for late lodgement

• The ATO may “guess” your tax (never in your favour)

• You lose deductions

• Your ABN may be cancelled

• Debt collection may follow

Getting it done properly with GoTax avoids all of this.

What If I No Longer Use My ABN?

If your ABN was active at any time during the financial year, you still need to lodge a business schedule for that year.

After that, you can cancel the ABN.

How to Lodge Your ABN Tax Return Properly

You’ve got two choices.

The Hard Way: wrestle with ATO forms and guess deductions.
The GoTax Way: use the GoTax ABN Tax Return, answer simple prompts, and let the system calculate everything.

It’s fast, clean, and avoids the rookie mistakes.

Quick Answers for common ABN questions

Do I need to lodge a return if I have an ABN?
Yes — every ABN holder must lodge annually.

Do I lodge if I earned $0?
Yes — $0 income still requires a return.

Do I lodge if I have a job and an ABN?
Yes — the ABN income must be declared.

Can the ATO penalise non-lodgement?
Yes — penalties and default assessments apply.

Next Steps for ABN Holders

You’ve got an ABN, which means you’ve got to lodge — but you don’t have to stress.
Jump into the GoTax ABN Tax Return, let the system do the heavy lifting, and get it sorted without the accountant headaches.