1.4 Income Tax Return

Latest release
Administrative income comparison studies
Reference period
2019-20, 2021
Released
30/10/2025
Next release Unknown
First release

ITR data is used to prepare estimates for all types of income.

The relevant PLIDA table is the atoitrincloss table.

1.4.1 Employee income

Key data items used in preparing annual and current employee income are presented in the table below.

Table 5: Income Tax Return data items used in calculating employee income
Data item Data item description Data item purpose 
GRS_PMT_TOTAL_CALCD_AMT Salary or wages Determines income received 
ALWNCERNGS_TIPSDRCTRSFEES_AMT Allowances, earnings, tips, directors’ fees etc. Determines income received 
LSPS_AMT_A_TOTL_CALCD_AMT Lump sum amount Determines income received 
LSPS_5_PCT_B_TOTL_CALCD_AMT Lump sum amount Determines income received 
ETPS_OTHRTHN_EXCVSCMPNT_AMT Employment termination payments Determines income received 
PRSNL_SRVCS_ATRBD_INCM_AMT Attributed personal services income Determines income received 
TOTL_ASSBL_DSCNT_AMT Employee share schemes total assessable discount Determines income received 
OTHR_NET_FORGN_EMPLT_INCM_AMT Other net foreign employment income Determines income received 
EXMT_FORGN_EMPLT_INCM_AMT Exempt foreign employment income Determines income received 
CFC_INCM_AMT Controlled foreign company income Determines income received 
RFBS_TOTL_AMT Reportable fringe benefits Determines income received 

Annual income (ITR_EMP_ANN)

Annual income for a person is estimated from the aggregate of their relevant items within a financial year. 

Current income (ITR_EMP_CUR)

Like annual estimates, current income is estimated from the aggregate of relevant items for a person within a financial year. However, additional checks are applied to screen out estimates likely to be invalid for the reference date. This primarily includes checking for employment income in more recent STP data.

Amounts from lump sum payment/s are included in current income using a cut-off at the equivalent of 3 months’ pay, based on the greater of AWE and ITR income (excluding lump sums). This helps ITR income measures represent amounts of a lump sum payment that are intended to support current living standards.

1.4.2 Government pensions and allowances

Key data items used in preparing annual and current government pensions and allowances are presented in the table below.

Table 6: Income Tax Return data items used in calculating government pensions and allowances
Data item Data item description Data item purpose 
AUSNGOVTALWNC_AND_PMTS_AMT Amount of Australian Government allowances and payments Determines income received 
AUSNGOVTPNSNS_AND_ALWNC_AMT Amount of Australian Government pensions and allowances Determines income received 
TAX_FRE_GOVT_PNSN_AMT Amount of tax-free government pensions Determines income received 
NETFORGNPNSNANNTY_WTHT_UPP_AMT Net foreign pension or annuity income after tax withheld and undeducted purchase price Determines income received 

In the calculation, the values associated with these items are restricted to include only those amounts of a government pension or allowance that are not present in DOMINO for the same reference period. (That is, inclusions here are not in DOM_GOV_ANN,  as calculated for the same year as ITR data used). Inclusions reflect instances of government payments that cannot be found in DOMINO, such as overseas or state/territory administered government payments. 

Annual income (ITR_GOV_ANN)

Annual income for a person is estimated from the aggregate of their relevant items within a financial year. 

Current income (ITR_GOV_CUR)

Current income uses the annual government pensions and allowance income (ITR_GOV_ANN). This is a proxy for current income, given more timely data is not available.

1.4.3 Own unincorporated business income

Key data items used in preparing current and annual own unincorporated business income are presented in the table below.

Table 7: Income Tax Return data items used in calculating own unincorporated business income
Data item Data item description Data item purpose 
NET_INCM_OR_LSS_FRM_BUS_PP_AMT Net income or loss from business activities with Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) withholding Determines income received 
NETINCMORLSS_FRM_BUS_NPP_AMT Net income or loss from business activities without PAYG withholding Determines income received 
TRSTS_PP_DSTBN_AMT Taxable distributions received from trusts with PAYG withholding Determines income received 
PSI_NET_AMT Net amount of personal services income after allowable deductions Determines income received 
PSHPS_NPP_LESS_FORGN_INCM_AMT Net income from partnerships without PAYG withholding, excluding foreign income Determines income received 
PSHPS_PP_DSTBN_AMT Taxable distributions received from partnerships with PAYG withholding Determines income received 

Annual income (ITR_UBUS_ANN)

Annual income for a person is estimated from the aggregate of their relevant items within a financial year. 

Current income (ITR_UBUS_CUR)

Current income uses the annual own unincorporated business income (ITR_UBUS_ANN). This is a proxy for current income, given more timely data is not available.

1.4.4 Investment income

Key data items used in preparing current and annual investment income are presented in the table below.

Table 8: Income Tax Return data items used in investment income
Data item Data item description Data item purpose 
NET_FORGN_RNT_AMT Net foreign rental income amount – income from rental properties located outside Australia, after expenses. Determines income received 
RNTL_NET_RNT_AMT Net rental income from Australian properties – total rental income minus allowable rental deductions. Determines income received 
AUSN_FCRS_FRM_NZC_AMT Net foreign source income from New Zealand companies – typically includes dividends or distributions. Determines income received 
GRS_INTST_AMT Gross interest income – total interest earned from financial institutions and other sources. Determines income received 
DIVS_FRNKD_AMT Franked dividend amount – dividends paid by Australian companies with a franking credit attached. Determines income received 
DIVS_UNFRNKD_AMT Unfranked dividend amount – dividends paid without franking credits. Determines income received 
DIVS_FCR_AMT Dividend franking credit – the tax credit associated with franked dividends. Determines income received 
TRST_NPP_LESS_CGFORGNINCM_AMT Net non-primary production income from trusts, excluding capital gains and foreign income. Determines income received 
NONPPFRNKDDSTBNSFRMTRSTSAMT Non-primary production franked distributions from trusts. Determines income received 
TFRR_TRST_INCM Total trust income reported – includes all income types distributed from trusts. Determines income received 

ITR excludes investment incomes for people not required to lodge a tax return. ITR also excludes notional income from offset accounts, which is the estimate of the amount households saved in interest on their loans.

Annual income (ITR_INV_ANN)

Annual income for a person is estimated from the aggregate of their relevant items within a financial year. 

Current income (ITR_INV_CUR)

Current income uses the annual investment income (ITR_INV_ANN). This is a proxy for current income, given more timely data is not available.

1.4.5 Superannuation pensions and annuities

Key data items used in preparing current and annual superannuation pensions and annuities income are presented in the table below.

Table 9: Income Tax Return data items used in calculating superannuation pensions and annuities
Data item Data item description Data item purpose 
AASISLSINARRSTAXPRTTXDELMNTAMT Assessed taxable income from salary and wage sources, including tax-deductible elements. Determines income received 
AASISLSARRSTAXPRTUTAXDELMNTAMT Assessed untaxed income from salary and wage sources, including tax-deductible elements. Determines income received 

AASIS_TXBL_CMPNT_TXD_ELMNT_AMT 

 

Taxable component of income with taxed elements (e.g., pensions, annuities). Determines income received 

AAIS_TXBLCMPNT_UTAXDELMNT_AMT 

 

Taxable component of income with untaxed elements (e.g., superannuation). Determines income received 

NETFORGNPNSNANNTY_WITH_UPP_AMT 

 

Net foreign pension/annuity income with an undeducted purchase price. Determines income received 
NETFORGNPNSNANNTY_WTHT_UPP_AMT Net foreign pension/annuity income without an undeducted purchase price. Determines income received 

ITR excludes superannuation pension and annuity income for individuals who are not required to lodge a tax return, e.g. due to tax reporting exemptions. For this reason, the data is particularly limited.

Annual income (ITR_SUP_ANN)

Annual income for a person is estimated from the aggregate of their relevant items within a financial year. 

Current income (ITR_SUP_CUR)

Current income uses the annual superannuation pension and annuity income (ITR_SUP_ANN). This is a proxy for current income, given more timely data is not available.

1.4.6 Other regular transfers

Key data items used in preparing current and annual other regular transfer income are presented in the table below.

Table 10: Income Tax Return data items used in calculating other regular transfers
Data item Data item description Data item purpose 
OTHR_NET_FSI_AMT Net amount of other foreign source income not elsewhere classified. Determines income received 
TOTL_OI_CTGRY_1_AMT Total other income from Category 1 sources (e.g. non-standard income such as benefits or prizes with taxable components). Determines income received 
TOTL_OI_CTGRY_2_AMT Total other income from Category 2 sources (e.g. ATO interest charge remissions). Determines income received 
TOTL_OI_CTGRY_4_AMT Total other income from Category 4 sources (e.g. any other income not described in category 1 or 2). Determines income received 

Annual income (ITR_OTH_ANN)

Annual income for a person is estimated from the aggregate of their relevant items within a financial year. 

Current income (ITR_OTH_CUR)

Current income uses the annual other regular transfers income (ITR_OTH_ANN). This is a proxy for current income, given more timely data is not available.

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