"Where's My Refund?" A Proactive Status-Update System

11 October 2026·5 min read

Quick answer: "Where's my refund?" calls almost always mean a client hasn't heard from you recently, not that they genuinely think you're hiding something. The fix isn't a faster ATO — you don't control that — it's a scheduled status-update system that tells clients what stage they're at before they have to ask. Below is a simple four-stage template you can copy today and a note on exactly what it can and can't promise. 📱

Every firm's receptionist has a version of this conversation memorised word for word: "no update yet, the ATO hasn't processed it." It's not wrong, it's just reactive — and reactive answers to the same question, over and over, quietly eat hours every tax season that a two-minute automated email could save. 💖

What most firms get wrong about refund enquiries

Treating every call as an interruption — it's usually a symptom of a communication gap you created by going quiet, not a client being difficult.
Only updating clients when there's "real" news — silence reads as "nothing's happening" even when it's actually progressing normally.
Blaming the ATO defensively — true, but said badly it sounds like an excuse rather than useful information.
Not setting expectations at lodgement — if nobody told the client roughly how long this takes, every day past "soon" feels like something's wrong.
Making the client chase, every single time — once a client learns calling is the only way to get an update, they'll keep calling.

The four-stage status-update template

Send these at each stage automatically (email or SMS), timed to when the status actually changes — not on a fixed calendar that might not match reality:

Stage 1 — Lodged: "Hi [Name], your return's been lodged with the ATO today. They typically process most returns within [general timeframe], and we'll let you know the moment there's an update — no need to check in."

Stage 2 — Still processing (if it runs past the usual window): "Hi [Name], your return's still processing with the ATO — this is normal and not something we can speed up on our end, but we're keeping an eye on it and will update you as soon as it moves."

Stage 3 — Assessment issued: "Hi [Name], good news — your assessment is through. [Refund amount / balance owing] is expected to hit your account around [general timeframe]. We'll flag anything unusual immediately."

Stage 4 — Refund received (or flagged for review): "Hi [Name], that should be landing in your account now (or: your return's been selected for a routine review — here's what that means and what, if anything, you need to do)."

How this plays out across different firms

A sole-practitioner BAS/tax agent: With a smaller client base, she set a recurring weekly reminder to batch-send stage updates to anyone still sitting in "lodged" or "processing" — a manual but consistent system that still cut her phone interruptions noticeably during peak season.

A 3-partner suburban accounting firm: They built the four stages into their practice management software as automatic triggers tied to lodgement status changes, so no admin time was spent remembering to send them at all — the system did it the moment a status changed.

A firm with 200 SME clients: At that volume, manual updates were never realistic, so they added a self-serve status page clients could check themselves, with the four-stage emails layered on top as a backup for anyone who didn't bother logging in. Call volume around tax time dropped, though a reliable minority of clients still called anyway — some people just prefer a human answer, and that's fine.

Setting this up without overpromising

The system only works if the language stays honest about what you control. Use general timeframes, not specific dates, for anything that depends on the ATO — "typically a few weeks" ages far better than "by the 15th." Keep the tone warm and matter-of-fact rather than apologetic; you're not at fault for ATO processing speed, and apologising repeatedly for something outside your control can actually make clients more anxious, not less.

💡 Heads up: set the Stage 1 email's expectation generously. If you say "a few weeks" and it lands in ten days, the client feels delighted rather than anxious — set it too optimistically and every slightly-slower-than-usual return becomes a phone call.

Mistakes to avoid

Promising a specific refund date — you don't control ATO processing, and a missed promise erodes trust faster than silence ever would.
Sending updates so generic they could apply to anyone — include the client's name and specifics so it reads as genuine, not templated.
Only building this for tax season and forgetting it exists the rest of the year — the same system works for any client waiting on an ATO response.
Not telling clients the system exists — mention it at lodgement ("we'll keep you posted automatically") so they know not to chase.

Frequently asked questions

Can we actually speed up ATO processing times?

No — processing times are entirely the ATO's call, and no firm can influence that for a routine return. What you can influence is how informed the client feels while they wait, which is the entire point of this system.

Will this eliminate "where's my refund" calls completely?

No, and it's worth being honest about that — some clients will always prefer to call regardless of how good your automated updates are, and a small number of returns genuinely get flagged for extra review with longer, harder-to-predict timelines. The system reduces the volume substantially; it doesn't remove human nature from the equation.

Should these updates go out by email or SMS?

Either works, and many firms use both — SMS gets read faster but email gives you room for context and a proper explanation if something's flagged for review. Match the channel to what the client actually responds to, which you'll usually already know from how they've engaged with you before.

Is it worth building this if we only have a handful of affected clients?

A lightweight version — even just a calendar reminder to send a templated update — is worth it at almost any scale, because the time saved per avoided phone call adds up fast during peak season. The automated version only becomes worth building once volume justifies the setup time. 🤍

Keep reading 🤍

Written by

Kate, founder of Chronically Online

I help Gold Coast and Brisbane businesses grow with branding, websites and marketing that actually works.

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