Australians trying to get a jump-start on lodging their tax returns have complained of being placed in a “slow” online queue, as some faced wait times of more than an hour.
Taxpayers could file their returns from Monday, but some people logging on reported being met with a “hang tight” message on the Australian Taxation Office website.
“You’re in the queue,” the website states.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today 
“To ensure the best experience when you gain access to our online services, we’re currently managing the number of people who can log in.
“Thanks for being patient.”
Frustrated users have slammed the delays, with some waiting an hour to access the site.
“It’s a joke! I’m in the virtual queue and my loading bar is now fully green and has been for 15 minutes but I’m still in the queue,” one person said.
“It’s so slow on tax returns lodgement day,” another said.
Similar complaints were made this time last year, when users again faced the ATO waiting room delays.
7NEWS.com.au has contacted the ATO for comment.
The tax office earlier explained the waiting room was introduced in April 2020 to manage the high volume of people accessing the services during tax time.
The measure is a “tool for ensuring continuity of service under conditions of excessive demand or unforeseen events affecting system performance”.
“It is a standard method used by many organisations to manage online user experience,” the ATO previously told 7NEWS.com.au.
“This means while some users are still able to access our online services without issue, others are placed in a queue to await access to services.”
There is no need to report the delay to the ATO, it said.
While taxpayers can lodge their returns from July 1, waiting until the end of the month allows the tax office time to collect data from banks, financial institutions, private health insurers and government agencies to make the lodgment easier.
Anyone lodging their own return must do so by October 31, while those using a tax agent may be able to lodge later.
