Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to search

Queensland and NSW floods 2022

Visit recovery.gov.au to see what help is available.

Close
Home

Top navigation main

  • News & media
  • Jobs
  • Ministers
  • Contact us
Main menu

AWE Main

  • Agriculture and land
    Agriculture and land Building stronger and more sustainable agriculture, fisheries, forestry and land care.
    • Animal health
    • Farming, food and drought
    • Fisheries
    • Forestry
    • Land
    • Climate change and agriculture
    • Plant health
    • Drought and rural support
    • Mouse infestation advice
    Xylella

    Protect against unwanted plant pests

    Our biosecurity system helps protects us. Everyone has a role in supporting our biosecurity system.

    Find out more

  • Water
    Water Improving the sustainable management of Australia’s water resources for agriculture, the environment and communities.
    • Coal, Coal seam gas (CSG) and water
    • Commonwealth Environmental Water Office
    • Water policy and resources
    • Wetlands
    Water matters

    Water Matters

    Keep up with the latest news on the department's work in managing Australia's water resources.

    Read the latest edition here

  • Environment
    Environment Improving stewardship and sustainable management of Australia’s environment.
    • Biodiversity
    • Bushfire recovery
    • Climate change and the environment
    • EPBC Act
    • Environmental information and data
    • International activities
    • Marine
    • Partnerships
    • Protection
    • Report a breach of environment law
    • Threatened species & ecological communities
    • Waste and recycling
  • Biosecurity and trade
    Biosecurity and trade Lowering biosecurity risks to Australia, and assisting industry to accelerate growth towards a $100 billion agricultural sector by 2030.
    • Aircraft, vessels and military
    • Biosecurity policy
    • Cats and dogs
    • Exporting
    • Importing
    • Invasive species
    • Pests, diseases and weeds
    • Public awareness and education
    • Trade and market access
    • Travelling or sending goods to Australia
    • Wildlife trade
    Brown marmorated stink bug

    BMSB Seasonal Measures

    Australia has strengthened seasonal measures to manage the risk of BMSB.

    View our seasonal measures

  • Parks and heritage
    Parks and heritage Managing Australia’s iconic national parks, historic places and living landscapes.
    • Australian Marine Parks
    • Australian National Botanic Gardens
    • Booderee National Park
    • Kakadu National Park
    • Christmas Island National Park
    • National parks
    • Norfolk Island National Park
    • Heritage
    • Pulu Keeling National Park
    • The Great Barrier Reef
    • Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park
    The reef

    Great Barrier Reef

    Australia is protecting and conserving this World Heritage Area.

    Find out more

  • Science and research
    Science and research Undertaking research and collecting data to support informed decisions and policies.
    • Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES)
    • Climate change
    • Australia's biological resources
    • National Environmental Science Program (NESP)
    • Our science strategy
    • Australian Biological Resource Study (ABRS)
    • State of the Environment (SoE) reporting
    • Bird and bat banding
    • Supervising Scientist
    Abares

    ABARES Insights

    Get 'snapshots’ of agricultural, forestry and fisheries industries, or analysis of key issues.

    Find out more

  • About us
    About us Enhancing Australia’s agriculture, environment, heritage and water resources through regulation and partnership.
    • Accountability and reporting
    • Assistance, grants and tenders
    • Contact us
    • Fees and charges
    • News and media
    • Our commitment to you
    • Payments
    • People and jobs
    • Publications
    • What we do
    • Who we are
    A day in the life

    A day in the life...

    Our video series showcases the diverse and important work we do.

    Find out more

  • Online services
    Online services We do business with you using online platforms. This makes it easier for you to meet your legal requirements.
Department of Agriculture

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Agriculture and land
  3. Farming, food and drought
  4. Levies and charges
  5. Lodging returns and paying levies

Sidebar first - Farming

  • Levies and charges
    • Lodging returns and paying levies
      • Late payment penalties
      • Levies Online
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • Levies Online Feedback Survey
      • Manual return forms
    • Leviable commodities
    • Levy and charge rates
    • Levy Payer Registers
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Levy Payer Portal
      • Guide for research and development corporations and information recipients
      • Levy Recipient Portal
      • Notices
    • Streamlining and modernising levies legislation
    • Levies notices
    • Biosecurity Levies
    • Levy publications
    • Related legislation
    • Contact Levies

Lodging returns and paying levies

Natural Disasters and COVID-19 Notice

 

Before you can lodge your first return and make a payment you must first register with the department to receive a unique five (5) digit LRS number. Registration is a once off process and is free of charge. To register, contact a Levies Office in your state or territory.

To confirm your LRS account number, please email your ABN and business name to levies.management@awe.gov.au or contact the Levies Office in your state or territory for assistance.

Return periods will vary between commodities. Please refer to the relevant commodity page to determine if you must lodge your return monthly, quarterly or on a half-yearly or annual basis.

Lodging your return

Levies Online is available for all commodities except those listed below:

  • Dried fruits – house packaging
  • Dried vine fruits
  • Eggs
  • Farmed prawns
  • Mushrooms
  • Nursery products
  • Pasture seeds
  • Strawberries

Amending your return online

The department now accepts online amendments for the following commodities and return periods:

  • Cattle and livestock export – returns from 1 January 2021
  • Cherries – returns from 1 April 2021
  • Coarse grains, legumes, oilseeds and wheat – returns from 1 July 2019*
  • Grape research – returns from 1 July 2018*
  • Macadamia nuts – returns from 1 January 2021
  • Rice – returns from 1 July 2020
  • Sugar cane – returns from 1 June 2019*
  • Wool – returns from 1 January 2021*

For all other commodities, or for a return that was lodged before the dates listed above, you should send a signed copy of the amended return to levies.management@awe.gov.au.

*A return which includes levy payer information can only be amended the same way that it was originally lodged.

For instructions on how to amend a return in Levies Online please refer to the Levies Online User Guides which are available on the department’s website. Alternatively, you can email levies.management@awe.gov.au or contact the Levies Office in your state or territory for assistance.

Making a payment

To make a payment to the department, please consider Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) in the first instance. If you are unable to make a payment by EFT, the department will also accept payment by cheque or money order.

Electronic Funds Transfer

Please include your LRS account number at the beginning of the EFT payment reference, followed by your business name to ensure that your payment is processed quickly and accurately.

To make your payment by EFT, please use the details provided on Levies Online under ‘My Payments’ or contact Levies at levies.management@awe.gov.au.

Cheque or Money Order

Your cheque or money order must be made out and mailed to:

Made out to Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment - Levies
Mailed to Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment – Levies
Locked Bag 4488
KINGSTON ACT 2604

Note: the department does not accept post-dated cheques.

Late payment penalties

If you pay your levy or charge late you will incur a penalty that is calculated daily at a compounding rate of 2 per cent of the unpaid amount each month, including any penalties you have already accrued until you have paid the outstanding amount in full.

For more information about late payment penalties, including penalty remissions, visit the late payment penalties page. 

Records that must be kept when you lodge a return and make a payment

If you lodge a return with the department, you must keep records that support the information you have supplied in your returns for five (5) years. A person who has lodged a return with the department may be required to provide information about that return to an authorised person under Section 23 of the Primary Industries Levies and Charges Collection Act 1991 (the Act). Schedule 24 of the Act contains offence provisions for failing to provide information if requested.

More information about the type of records you must keep for each commodity can be found in the relevant commodity page. This information, however, is a guide only and it is your responsibility to remain aware of your obligations under legislation.

Contact us

If you have any questions about levies and charges, your levies account or how to lodge your return, please email levies.management@awe.gov.au

Contacts

Call 1800 900 090

Contact us online

Report a biosecurity concern

Other information

  • Privacy notice

 

Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks! Your feedback has been submitted.

We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions.
To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Please verify that you are not a robot.

Skip

Footer

  • Contact us
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • FOI
Last updated: 18 November 2021

© Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.