The short answer
myTax is the ATO's own free online lodgement tool — you use it yourself through myGov, and it costs nothing. Etax (Etax.com.au) is a private, paid online service run by a Registered Tax Agent, where an agent prepares and checks your return for a fee starting around $87.49 (as at July 2026).
For a straightforward salaried return, myTax is the better default — it's free, official, and pre-fills most of your data. A paid service earns its fee when your return gets complex (investment property, capital gains, business income) or when you simply want a professional to check it and take responsibility for the lodgement.
Below is a plain-English, side-by-side comparison — including where AusTax AI fits — so you can pick the right path for FY2025–26.
Which is cheaper, Etax or myTax?
myTax is free; Etax is not. Etax.com.au's standard individual return starts from $87.49 (as at July 2026, per Etax's published fee schedule), with a low-income service from $44.90, a rental-property schedule add-on at $59.90, a capital gains add-on at $59.90, and business returns from $219.90. Etax also offers an optional $27.50 "Fee From Refund" service so you pay nothing upfront. a registered tax agent (see the directory) GST) if you'd rather a Registered Tax Agent review and lodge for you — neither AusTax AI path charges a percentage of your refund.
What is myTax?
myTax is the Australian Taxation Office's free tax-return tool, accessed by logging in to myGov and linking the ATO service. Key facts:
- Cost: Free.
- Who lodges: You do, yourself.
- Pre-fill: By late July, the ATO pre-fills your salary, bank interest, dividends, private health, and government payments from data employers and institutions report.
- Deadline: 31 October 2026 for self-lodgers.
- Best for: Employees with standard deductions (WFH hours, uniforms, tools, union/professional fees) and simple investment income.
myTax replaced the ATO's old downloadable "e-tax" software in 2016. It does a genuinely good job for the majority of taxpayers, but it won't *find* deductions for you — it only records what you type in.
What is Etax (Etax.com.au)?
Etax.com.au is a long-running private Australian tax service. Despite the name's similarity to the retired ATO software, it is not an ATO product — it's an online business operated by Registered Tax Agents. Key facts (as at July 2026, per Etax's published fee schedule):
- Cost: Standard individual return from $87.49; low-income service from $44.90; rental-property schedule +$59.90; capital gains (incl. a registered tax agent (see the directory) An optional $27.50 Fee-From-Refund service lets you defer payment until your refund arrives.
- Who lodges: A Registered Tax Agent lodges on your behalf.
- Deadline: Because a Registered Tax Agent lodges it, you can often access an extended deadline (up to 15 May 2027) instead of 31 October.
- Language support: Etax offers phone and live-chat help in Mandarin and Cantonese through its accounting centre, though the online return platform itself is in English.
- Best for: People who want a human agent to prepare and review the return, or whose situation is past simple salaried income.
⚠️ Don't confuse the two "e-tax" meanings. The old ATO "e-tax" desktop program was free and retired in 2016 (replaced by myTax). Today, "Etax" almost always means the commercial Etax.com.au service, which is paid. If a search result promises a "free e-tax download from the ATO", it's out of date.
eTax vs myTax vs AusTax AI — full comparison
| Dimension | myTax (ATO, free) | Etax.com.au (paid agent) | AusTax AI |
|---|
| Who lodges | You | Registered Tax Agent | You (self-lodge) or partner Registered Tax Agent |
|---|---|---|---|
| How deductions are found | ❌ You enter everything yourself | ⚠️ Agent prompts from a checklist during review | ✅ AI reads your receipts and applies occupation-specific ATO rules |
| Refund timing | ATO-controlled, usually 1–2 weeks | Same ATO processing time once lodged | Same ATO processing time; agent review typically completes in 24–72 hours before lodgement |
| Bilingual interface (Chinese) | ❌ English only | ⚠️ English-language platform; Chinese-language phone/chat support available | ✅ Full English + Simplified Chinese web and app interface |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official ATO tool | ✅ Yes | ❌ Private business | ❌ Platform + TPB agent partners |
| Lodgement deadline | 31 Oct 2026 | Up to 15 May 2027 (agent extension) | Self: 31 Oct · Agent path: 15 May |
| Best for | Simple salaried returns | Agent-prepared returns of any complexity | Employees and investors who want AI-found deductions, in English or Chinese |
*Prices and features as at July 2026 — always confirm current fees directly with the provider before choosing.*
Which gets your refund back faster?
None of the three affects how fast the ATO pays your refund — that timing is set by the ATO's own processing pipeline, typically 1–2 weeks after lodgement (longer if your return is selected for manual review). a registered tax agent (see the directory)
When myTax (free) is the right choice
You're well served by free myTax if all of these are true:
- You're an employee on PAYG salary (one or more jobs).
- Your deductions are standard work-related expenses — WFH hours, uniforms, tools, self-education, union or professional association fees.
- Your investment income is limited to bank interest and simple Australian-share dividends.
- You were an Australian tax resident for the full year.
*Take Daniel, a Melbourne retail assistant on a single PAYG job with no investments beyond a savings account: his return fits entirely inside myTax's pre-fill, and the only extra work is adding his uniform and phone-usage deductions — about a 30-minute job.*
For this profile, the ATO pre-fill covers most of the form and the whole thing takes 30–60 minutes. The one weakness of myTax — it doesn't surface deductions you forgot — is exactly the gap a tool like AusTax AI fills *before* you lodge.
When a paid service makes sense
A paid agent service (Etax, H&R Block, or otherwise) earns its fee when your return moves past simple:
- Capital gains — you sold shares, crypto, or property (CGT discount, cost-base, carry-forward losses).
- Rental property — interest apportionment, depreciation, capital vs repairs. Rental returns are the ATO's most-audited area.
- Business / ABN income — a Business schedule, PSI rules, and expense apportionment apply.
- You want a professional to take responsibility — an agent's signature and records matter if the ATO later asks questions.
See our full decision framework: Do I Need a Tax Agent in Australia?
Where AusTax AI fits
AusTax AI is a third path that sits between "DIY in myTax" and "hand it to a paid agent":
So you get the "free + official" benefit of myTax *plus* the "AI finds your deductions + optional professional review" benefit of a paid service — and you only pay for the tier that matches your actual situation.
Need Help With Your Tax Return?
Complex situation? a registered tax agent (see the directory) Our partner agents review every detail for accuracy and compliance.
*Disclaimer: This is general information only and does not constitute personal tax advice. Consult a registered tax agent for advice tailored to your specific situation. Always verify against the latest ATO guidelines at ato.gov.au.*
The bottom line
- myTax = free, official, you do it. Best default for simple salaried returns.
- Etax.com.au = paid private service, an agent does it, with Mandarin/Cantonese phone support available. Worth it for complex returns or hands-off preparation.
- Need a professional? Browse every TPB-registered tax agent near you in the AusTax directory, or post a request and matching practices will contact you — free.
Start free — analyse your receipts and estimate your FY2025–26 refund — and only step up to a paid lodgement if your situation calls for it.
Related comparisons: H&R Block vs myTax Australia · Etax vs H&R Block Australia · How to lodge via myTax