Refunds that could not be paid
If a refund was issued to a bank account that has since closed, the payment bounces back to the ATO and sits on your account until you provide current details.
The fastest way to check is through myGov linked to the ATO, where your account balance and transaction history show any credit sitting unpaid. Updating your bank details will usually release it automatically.
Returns you never lodged
Many people with tax withheld from wages are owed a refund but never lodged a return, particularly for part-year work, casual jobs and student years.
You can lodge prior year returns going back several years through myGov or a registered tax agent. The ATO holds your income statements and prefills much of the detail.
If you were not required to lodge, submit a non-lodgment advice so the years are closed off properly - but check first whether a refund is sitting there.
Other credits worth checking
Family Tax Benefit and childcare subsidy reconciliations through Services Australia can produce top-up payments that go unpaid when contact details are out of date.
Franking credits on shares can be refundable even when no return is otherwise required, which matters most for retirees and low income earners.
While you are in myGov, run the ATO's lost superannuation search as well - it is the same login and covers a different pot of money entirely.
Tip: Update your bank details and address in myGov first - many stranded refunds release automatically once contact details are current.
Common questions
Official sources
This guide is based on the official Australian registers and the bodies that administer them. Always search and claim through these sites directly - they are free.