Review, lodge and record a tax return

1. Pre-lodgement review
2. Clear the gaps
3. Client signs
4. Record as lodged
5. Mark assessed

Once a return is prepared, you check it, get it signed, lodge it with the ATO and then record the result in Billbook. Lodging from Billbook itself Coming soon comes later, so for now you lodge in Online services for agents and record it here.

What statuses does a return go through?Copy Anchor Link

The status shows beside the form name on the client's TaxIncome tax.

• Draft: you're preparing it.
• In review: ready for someone to check. Open the ⋯ menu and choose Mark in review, or Back to draft to take it back.
• Ready for client: sent for signing, waiting on the client.
• Signed: everyone you asked has signed. It's ready to lodge.
• Lodged: recorded as lodged with the ATO.
• Assessed: the ATO has issued its notice of assessment.
• Amended: reopened after lodging so you can amend it.

Your client sees a simpler version in their app: preparing, ready to sign, signed, lodged and assessed.

How do I run the pre-lodgement review?Copy Anchor Link

1. Open the return and choose Pre-lodgement review.
2. Read the result at the top: Hold: blocker, Review needed or No issues found.
3. Work through each finding, most serious first.

The review is a fixed set of checks Billbook runs over the figures. It never changes the return, and it doesn't use AI. You can run it as often as you like, right up to assessment.

What does the review check?Copy Anchor Link

• Provisional rules or figures: the year uses something the rule book hasn't confirmed. This holds the return.
• No labels captured: nothing's been entered yet.
• No taxable income despite income and Deductions exceed income: worth a second look at the deductions.
• Large year-on-year movement: taxable income moved a lot from last year's return.
• Large refund or Large amount payable: check the PAYG credits and instalments are all in.
• No acknowledged notice of intent: a personal super deduction is claimed, but the super caps register has no acknowledged notice. This holds the return.
• Deduction exceeds notice of intent: the deduction is more than the notice covers.
• Family trust distribution tax due: a separate tax, paid outside the return.
• For an SMSF, member balances that don't roll forward or don't add up across phases.

What's "Before you can lodge"?Copy Anchor Link

It sits above the return until it's lodged and lists what's missing. Each line has a link to fix it.

• No TFN on file, or a TFN applied for but not issued yet. This blocks lodging.
• No date of birth, for a person.
• A refund is expected but there's no refund account.
• For a business, whether it has nominated your firm at the ATO and is on your client list.
• Firm-wide items, like practice verification or ATO lodging setup. These link to Firm settingsATO lodging.

A warning icon means the line blocks lodging. A dashed circle means it's worth checking. See Client ATO details for each one.

How do I record a return as lodged?Copy Anchor Link

1. Get the return signed. Record as lodged shows once it's Signed.
2. Lodge it in Online services for agents.
3. Choose Record as lodged.
4. Enter the Date lodged (it can't be in the future) and, if you have it, the ATO receipt number.
5. Choose Record as lodged again to save.

The return moves to Lodged, and a line under the status shows when and how it was lodged.

Who can lodge and record the assessment?Copy Anchor Link

Only people with the lodging permission. Partners have it by default. Staff can prepare a return and send it to sign, but can't record it as lodged or assessed, or amend it, unless a partner gives them that permission in Firm settingsTeam.

How do I record the notice of assessment?Copy Anchor Link

1. Upload the notice to the client's WorkDocuments.
2. On the return, choose Mark assessed.
3. Pick the document under Notice of assessment, or leave it empty to add it later.
4. Choose Mark assessed.

The client sees the notice against that year in their app. Marked it assessed without the notice? Choose Add notice of assessment later, pick it and choose Attach.

When is a return locked?Copy Anchor Link

Once you send a return for signing, its labels, schedules and residency can't be changed, and the pull buttons are gone. Billbook refuses the change even if someone tries another way, so the figures always match the PDF the client signs.

• Sent or signed: recall it to make changes.
• Lodged or assessed: amend it to make changes.

Recording it as lodged also freezes the result: taxable income, net tax and the refund or amount payable stay as they were, along with the rule book release used. The estimate letter becomes a lodged return summary.

How do I recall a return to change it?Copy Anchor Link

1. Open the ⋯ menu and choose Recall to make changes.
2. Choose Recall.

The return goes back to In review. If the client hasn't signed yet, the signing request is cancelled so they can't sign the old version. If they already signed, that signature no longer counts. Make your changes and send it to sign again.

Anyone with the tax permission can recall a return. Cancelling an open signing request also needs the permission to cancel signing requests. Staff have both by default.

Can I amend a lodged return?Copy Anchor Link

Yes.

1. Open the ⋯ menu and choose Amend return.
2. Choose Amend.
3. Make your changes. The status is Amended.
4. Send it to sign again, the same as a new return.
5. Once it's signed, lodge the amendment in Online services for agents and choose Record as lodged.

The first lodgement stays on the return until you record the amendment as lodged, which replaces the frozen result. Amending needs the lodging permission.

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