There are just three weeks to go until the 31 October deadline to lodge income tax returns.

Acting Tax Commissioner Bruce Quigley has reminded people who are preparing their own returns not to leave it until the last minute.

If you're due a refund the quickest way to get it is to lodge electronically through a Registered Tax Agent, or by using e-tax. Most people who lodge using either of these two methods receive any refund owed to them within two weeks.

If you are concerned you won't meet the 31 October deadline or need assistance with your tax return contact your Registered Tax Agent, or call the Tax Office on 13 28 61 between 8.00am and 6.00pm Monday to Friday.

Mr Quigley reminded people using a tax agent for the first time or a different one from last year to contact them by 31 October. "Tax agents have extended deadlines to lodge their clients' tax returns but you need to contact them by 31 October," Mr Quigley said.

"Only registered tax agents can charge a fee to prepare and lodge a tax return."

You can check if your agent is registered by visiting the Tax Agents' Board website or by phoning 1300 362 829.

"If you haven't lodged your return, and don't intend using a Registered Tax Agent, one of the easiest ways is using e-tax," Mr Quigley said.

"E-tax can save you time by pre-filling information from third parties directly into your return such as bank interest, payment summaries, Medicare information, private health insurance and government payments.

"You can also view information on subjects like capital gains and losses, work-related expenses and it provides links to Tax Office rulings, relevant publications, help screens and other information through e-tax.

"Over 1.7 million people have already lodged using e-tax, and over a million of those have used the pre-filling option to make completing their return easier."

Remember to carefully check your return before submitting it to ensure you've included all income and claimed all deductions and rebates you're entitled to. Ensure your personal information including name and date of birth is correct to avoid any delays with your return.

This includes any information you've downloaded into your return using the pre-filling option.

The third way to lodge your Income Tax Return is by using the Tax Pack. You can still lodge using TaxPack 2009 or the Short tax return 2009. TaxPack 2009 and the short tax return are available from newsagents.

To check on the progress of your tax return, you can call the Tax Office self help service on 13 28 65, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You will need to provide your tax file number when using this service.