Credit cards that earn rewards points when you pay your tax bill

How we calculate Rewards Credit Card Finder Scores

Read full methodology

What different scores mean

9+

Excellent

These cards offer the best ongoing earn rates and sign up offers, coupled with attractive annual fees and perks.

7+

Great

Reasonable rewards cards but may offer slightly lower ongoing or signup offers.

5+

Standard

These cards may offer lower ongoing and sign up points, but could also offer fewer perks or higher annual fees.

0+

Basic

Entry level rewards cards, that offer consumers basic sign up offers and ongoing earn rates.

What are the rules around paying tax for credit card payments?

This has changed a lot in 2026. Prior to this year, credit card payments were possible with many business cards and some personal cards, but you had to pay a surcharge to use them - which meant it often wasn't worth it.

The Reserve Bank of Australia banned credit card surcharges on 1 October 2026. This means merchants and anyone who accepts payments can no longer charge the cost of processing the transaction.

Initially, the ATO said it would stop accepting credit card payments from the beginning of December 2026. However, that led to widespread criticism from the business community. The federal government effectively reversed that decision on 9 October 2026, saying that credit card payments for tax bills would be allowed throughout the 2026/2027 financial year.

In practice, that means if you pick a card that earns rewards points on government transactions (like those listed in the table above), you can earn rewards points on your tax payments without any extra cost.

Should I pay my tax bill with a credit card in the first place?

Our expert says

"When surcharges applied, paying your tax bill using a credit card often didn't make sense. But now there's an 8-month window where you can make those payments without incurring surcharges, so it's definitely worth considering getting an eligible card to make payments. Just make sure you're immediately repaying the balance off your card."

Angus Kidman

Editor-at-large

Best cards for earning points when paying tax

• Best for earning Qantas Points on ATO payments for businesses: American Express Qantas Corporate Card
• Best for earning Velocity Points on ATO payments for businesses: American Express Velocity Business Card
• Best for earning Amex Points on ATO payments for businesses: American Express Platinum Business Card
• Best for earning Qantas Points on ATO payments for individuals: Qantas American Express Ultimate Card
• Best for earning Velocity Points on ATO payments for individuals: American Express Velocity Platinum Card
• Best for earning Amex Points on ATO payments for individuals: American Express Platinum Card

Best for earning Qantas Points on ATO payments for businesses

Finder score 7.8 Great American Express Qantas Corporate Card Most LovedAmerican Express Membership RewardsUncapped points

Finder score 7.8 Great

Bonus points 50,000

Points per $ spent 1.5

Points per $ on ATO payments 1

Annual fee $70

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Why we like it With a Finder Score of 7.82 and an uncapped 1 Amex Membership Rewards Point per $1 on government payments (which convert to Qantas Points), this is the strongest card for businesses wanting to turn their ATO bill into Qantas Points. The $70 annual fee is steep and your business needs to turn over more than $10 million to qualify, but a yearly Qantas Club membership and two Centurion Lounge passes help make up for it. Pros & cons Pros 50,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points 1.5 Membership Rewards points per $1 on most corporate spending Up to 51 days cash flow Cons $89 annual Membership Rewards fee to earn points $70 annual fee per card (including cards for employees) Charge cards must be paid in full by the due date on each statement

Best for earning Velocity Points on ATO payments for businesses

Finder score 7.2 Great American Express Velocity Business Card Most LovedVelocity Frequent FlyerUncapped points

Finder score 7.2 Great

Bonus points 120,000

Points per $ spent 1

Points per $ on ATO payments 0.5

Annual fee $249

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Why we like it The American Express Velocity Business Card has a Finder Score of 7.16. With an earn rate of 0.5 Velocity Points per $1 on government payments, this is our pick for businesses that want to earn Velocity Points on their tax bill. Its $249 annual fee is far lower than most premium business cards, and new cardholders can get 200,000 bonus points when they spend $6,000 in the first 3 months. Pros & cons Pros 120,000 bonus Velocity Points Up to 2 Velocity Points per $1 spent 2 complimentary Virgin Australia Guest Lounge Passes each membership year Automatic enrolment into the Virgin Australia Business Flyer program Cons $249 annual fee for the account $99 annual fee for each employee card 3.5% foreign transaction fee

Best for earning Amex Points on ATO payments for businesses

Finder score 9.5 Excellent American Express Platinum Business Card Most LovedAmerican Express Membership RewardsUncapped points

Finder score 9.5 Excellent

Bonus points 350,000

Points per $ spent 2.25

Points per $ on ATO payments 1

Annual fee $1,750

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Why we like it With a Finder Score of 9.48and an uncapped 1 point per $1 on government payments, this card is a strong option if you want to earn Amex Membership Rewards Points on your tax bill. The $1,750 annual fee is very high, but there's a big bonus points offer and you also get access to more than 1,550 airport lounges. Pros & cons Pros 350,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points High 2.25 points per $1 on most eligible spending, with 1 point per $1 on government spend Complimentary domestic and international travel insurance when you pay for your return trip on your card Cons The standard $1,750 annual fee is one of the highest on the market 3.5% foreign currency conversion fee American Express is not as widely accepted as Visa or Mastercard

Best for earning Qantas Points on ATO payments for individuals

Finder score 8.9 Great Qantas American Express Ultimate Card Most LovedQantas Frequent FlyerUncapped points

Finder score 8.9 Great

Bonus points 120,000

Points per $ spent 1.25

Points per $ on ATO payments 0.5

Annual fee $450

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Why we like it With a Finder Score of 8.93, this card is our top pick for anyone who wants to earn Qantas Points on their tax payments to the ATO. You can earn 0.5 points per $1 on government spending. The $450annual fee is effectively covered by the $450 Qantas Travel Credit you get each year, and you also score two Qantas Club lounge invitations. Pros & cons Pros Up to 120,000 bonus Qantas Points Up to 2.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on eligible purchases in Australia $450 Qantas Travel Credit each year Cons High $450 annual fee High 23.99% p.a. interest rate for purchases 3.5% foreign currency conversion fee

Best for earning Velocity Points on ATO payments for individuals

Finder score 7.7 Great American Express Velocity Platinum Card Finder AwardMost LovedVelocity Frequent FlyerUncapped points

Finder score 7.7 Great

Bonus points 50,000

Points per $ spent 1.25

Points per $ on ATO payments 0.5

Annual fee $440

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Why we like it The American Express Velocity Platinum Card has a Finder Score of 7.72. You can earn 0.5 Velocity Points per $1 on government payments, making it a great way for individuals to turn their tax bill into Velocity Points. The $440 annual fee is reasonable given the earn rate, a free domestic return economy flight each year, 12 months of Virgin Australia domestic lounge access and two guest lounge passes. Pros & cons Pros 50,000 bonus Velocity Points Get 50 Velocity Status Credits per year when you spend at least $25,000 on eligible purchases each membership year, plus 50 credits if you spend a further $25,000 in that year. Virgin Australia Lounge Access & Guest Lounge Passes at select domestic airports Cons Relatively high $440 annual fee 3.5% foreign transaction fee The 23.99% p.a. interest rate for purchases is high among other credit cards in Australia

Best for earning Amex Points on ATO payments for individuals

Finder score 9.9 Excellent American Express Platinum Card Most LovedAmerican Express Membership RewardsUncapped points

Finder score 9.9 Excellent

Bonus points 150,000

Points per $ spent 2.25

Points per $ on ATO payments 1

Annual fee $1,450

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Why we like it With a Finder Score of 9.9 and an uncapped earn rate of 1 point per $1 on government payments, the American Express Platinum Card is the card to beat if you want to earn Amex Membership Rewards Points on your personal tax bill. The $1,450 annual fee is steep, but a $450 travel credit, up to $400 in dining credits and access to more than 1,550 airport lounges go a long way towards offsetting it. Pros & cons Pros 150,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points $450 Platinum Travel Credit each year Up to $400 back per calendar year at participating restaurants with American Express Global Dining Credit Cons High $1,450 annual fee 3.5% foreign currency conversion fee American Express is not as widely accepted as Visa or Mastercard

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How to pay the ATO with a credit card

You can use a credit card to pay the ATO through the Government EasyPay website or through your myGov account.

You'll need your payment reference number (PRN) or electronic funds transfer (EFT) code, which can be found above the bar code on your payment slip or debt notice, or online via myGov.

How to pay the ATO using the Government EasyPay service

1. Go to the Government EasyPay website for ATO payments.
2. Select the "Make a payment" option.
3. Enter your Payment Reference Number (PRN), the amount you're paying and your card details. You'll then see how much the card payment fee will cost.
4. Follow the prompts to complete the payment.

How to make an ATO payment through myGov

1. Log in to your myGov account.
2. Select the "Australian Taxation Office" link.
3. Click on the "Tax" column, select "Payments" and then "Payment Options".
4. Select the card payment option and follow the prompts to complete the payment. The credit card fee will be displayed then, too.

Note that only Australian Visa or Mastercard credit cards can be used for BPAY payments to the ATO, not Amex.

Which credit cards offer points for payments to the ATO?

Example: How to earn points on your tax bill

You have a tax bill of $40,000 and you pay it to the ATO with your business credit card. Let's assume your card earns you 1 point per dollar on government spending, uncapped. In this scenario you'd earn exactly 40,000 points.

The actual value of those points depends on the point program and what you redeem them for.

Using some real-world examples, with the Westpac Altitude Business Platinum credit card you could earn an uncapped 1 Altitude Point for every dollar spent on your tax bill. This would give you 40,000 Altitude Points. You could convert these to 13,333 Velocity Points and redeem them for reward flights.

How to check if your credit card earns points for tax payments

1. Look at the reward program terms and conditions. Credit cards that earn reward or frequent flyer points have a list of transactions that are not eligible to earn points. If "government charges" or "ATO payments" are on the list, then you won't earn points for your tax payment.
2. Contact your credit card company. Call, email, use an online chat service or leave a message on social media asking the credit card company whether or not your card earns points for ATO payments. If you decide to use social media, make sure you don't share any personal details and only mention the name of the card (rather than your account information).

Frequently asked questions

• Will an ATO payment help me earn bonus points on a new credit card?

  If you get a new credit card that earns points for ATO payments, you might be wondering if paying your tax bill counts towards the bonus points spend requirement.

  Just like earning points per $1 spent on ATO payments, the answer depends on your card. But it's unlikely if you have a card that doesn't earn points for ATO payments.

  If you have a card that does earn points for ATO payments, keep in mind that credit card companies often update the conditions around earning points for ATO payments.

  This makes it hard to assume a card will earn points (bonus or otherwise). So before you pay your tax bill, double-check you'll earn points and make sure you consider the card payment fee so that you can decide if it's worth it for you.

• Do all ATO transactions count as government charges?

  It depends on the credit card issuer. While technically the ATO is a government body, in some cases credit card transactions may not be classified as government charges and points may be awarded at the credit card provider's discretion.

• Can I earn Amex points on ATO payments?

  Yes. Several American Express cards let you earn Amex Membership Rewards on ATO or Australia Post payments. You can earn 1 point for every dollar spent at government bodies with the American Express Platinum card, for example.

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Angus Kidman as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Richard Whitten

Senior Money Editor

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Richard Whitten is Finder’s Senior Money Editor, with over eight years of experience in home loans, property, credit cards and personal finance. His insights appear in top media outlets like Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine, and the Herald Sun, and he frequently offers expert commentary on television and radio, helping Australians navigate mortgages and property ownership. Richard started his career in education and textbook publishing in South Korea. He holds multiple industry certifications, including a Certificate IV in Mortgage Broking (RG 206) and Tier 1 and Tier 2 certifications (RG 146), as well as a Bachelor of Education from the University of Sydney and a Graduate Certificate in Communications from Deakin University. See full bio

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