Suitable for: Everyone

Tax Difficulty: Easy

Time to read: 1-2 minutes

Tax Focus: Income Tax Returns

How to add interest income into your Airtax return

A very common source of income that you may have earned throughout the financial year is interest from holding money in a bank account. This is one of the many income types that the Airtax Tax Return is able to capture, so it’s important you utilise this section when completing your return. In this Help Centre article we’ll talk about what interest is, when it is necessary to complete this section, and how to correctly record interest earned during the financial year on Airtax.

What is interest income?

When you store money in a bank account (for example, a savings account or a term deposit), you earn a rate of interest. These interest payments that you receive from the bank are deemed to be income earned in your name, and are therefore reportable on your income tax return. Your bank may withhold some tax on these payments throughout the year to account for some income tax liability you may end up owing on them when you lodge your tax return.

Is my interest information available through the Airtax ATO prefill?

Yes - when your tax return is connected with the ATO, you should see your interest income details already listed in the relevant section. 

What information is required in this section?

As mentioned above, this section should be prefilled when you arrive at your income page of the Airtax tax return. However, if you proceed manually completing your tax return, there are a few key pieces of information you need to list in the “interest” section:

1. The name of your bank that you received the interest amounts from
2. The total gross amount of interest you had received throughout the financial year
3. The amount of tax withheld on this interest income (if any) 

This information should be made available to you in a summary statement provided by your bank.

What you’ve learned:

• What interest income is
• How to account for it on the Airtax tax return

Still unsure?

If you still have any questions about the Airtax BAS to income tax return migration function, or if you would like to know more about ways you can optimise your tax position, you can schedule a time to speak with one of our accountants. Check out our phone support services below to find out more:

1. Tax Assist: if you have particular questions about the sole trader section of your return, including migrating your BAS into your tax return, this 30-minute phone call might suit you. $179 includes a 30-minute phone call and one free income tax return lodgement. 
2. Tax Professional: our most comprehensive income tax return support service. If you need a detailed walkthrough of an entire tax return with a dedicated accountant, from start to finish, including migrating your BAS into your tax return, Tax Professional is perfect for you. $349 gets you maximal support, including a follow-up phone call where necessary, and includes a free income tax return.