Tip 1: Claim as many work-related expenses as you can
Many things you buy in order to do your job can be claimed as a tax deduction. Some are more obvious than others, like an apprentice's tools or travel expenses. Others are not as obvious: for instance, did you know that journalists may be eligible to claim their streaming and subscription costs? So long as these are incurred in the course of performing their work (for example, a sports journalist that needs to have access to the sport channels), they can be claimed as deductions.
Here are a few examples that you might be eligible for to get more tax return:
Tools and work-specific clothing. The item is needed to perform your job e.g. tools that tradesmen use, equipment that hairdressers use, special shoes such as steel cap boots.
Safety items. Item's needed for self-protection or safety when doing your job e.g. sunscreen and sunglasses if you are required to work outside
Laptops and mobile phones. If these are used for work purposes you're able to claim it on tax (if you have a laptop that you use for work and personal use, you're only entitled to claim the portion that you use for work).
Courses and conferences. Self-education expenses, such as courses and certificates, need to be directly related to your profession and will help you get a promotion or a pay rise.
Food while away for work. If you're away for work and need to buy dinner or another meal, you can claim this as a deduction. But it's always going to be better financially to try get the full cost reimbursed by your employer instead.
Tip 2. Claim tax deductions for working at home (even if you don't do it that often)
If you work from home full-time, part-time or only on the odd occasion, you're eligible to claim this as a tax deduction. Even if it's just one day a month! There are 2 methods available to calculate your claim: fixed rate or actual cost.
Fixed rate method: you can claim 67 cents per work hour for running expenses. Importantly, you no longer need a seperate, dedicated home office to claim this, like you used to in the past. Say you work from home 1 day a week and balance your laptop on your knees in the sofa; you're allowed to claim for that time. Your claim would look like this:
8 hours per day
Multiply x 48 weeks (assuming you take 4 weeks of annual leave) = 384 hours
384 hours x 67c = $257.28 to claim.
You can claim separate amount for expenses not covered by the fixed rate, such as the decline in value of depreciating assets (like your laptop).
Actual cost method: where you claim the actual expenses you incur as a result of working from home – including part of the rent or mortgage, electricity and insurance. You need to keep detailed records of your expenses to claim this way.
Working from home tax deductions can include the following:
Cleaning costs. The expenses incurred from cleaning office space at home.
Office furniture. Purchase and repair costs for office furniture and fittings required to do your job.
Your phone bill. Landline and mobile phone calls related to work matters (you should get an itemised phone bill and highlight the work-related calls)
Your home internet bill. You can claim a portion of your monthly internet bill, in line with how often you use it for work purposes.
Electricity bills. You can also claim a portion of your home electricity bills, in line with how often you work from home.
Finder survey: How many Australians plan to claim their car insurance on tax?
Response
No
50%
Yes
50%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1006 Australians, December 2023
3. Use a tax agent – they'll help maximise your return (and their fee is tax deductible!)
Yes, tax agents charge a fee to help lodge your return. However, for a lot of people, using a tax agent is the easiest way to ensure you're claiming everything that you're eligible for and boost your return. You might even find that they'll help you get a bigger return even though you need to pay a fee (the fee can be quite small, often around $100 for basic returns). Here's how tax agents can help you this tax time:
Claim the tax agent fee as a tax deduction. The cost of using a tax agent is completely tax deductible.
Claim more deductions. Tax agents know the ins and outs of the tax system so they'll be able to help you claim everything you're entitled to, even things you might not be aware that you're entitled to claim.
Claim correctly. If you don't claim your deductions correctly, you could be hit with a fine from the ATO.
Help with calculations. Claiming things like home office expenses, investment returns and capital gains can be complicated. Tax agents are professionals at this, which can save you a lot of time and stress.
Expert insight
"Be proactive: Speak to your tax agent before you make decisions, understanding the tax implications and risks ahead of time can allow you to plan accordingly or choose a different course of action.
Keep good records: Keep records throughout the year. Records are required to substantiate claims and could include invoices & receipts, investment cost base information, logbooks and travel diaries.
Lean on the professionals: Speak with your tax agent to understand your individual tax circumstances. Tax can often be stressful, and gaining an understanding of your personal tax circumstances can often help alleviate this stress. Engaging a professional firm to assist ensures the tax process is smooth, risk-free and timely."
Car and travel costs seem to be an expense most people are comfortable claiming on their tax return. But taking a guess at the amount you spent (rather than calculating it correctly) can land you in hot water. So can making an illegitimate claim, like travel to and from work. Here's how it works:
If you use your vehicle for work, claimable vehicle and travel expenses include:
Depreciation of your vehicle
Registration costs of your vehicle
Insurance costs of your vehicle
Costs of running your car such as fuel, oil and servicing
Vehicle and travel expenses that are not claimable include:
The initial purchase cost of your car
Parking tickets and other speeding fines
You may be able to claim vehicle and/or travel expenses in the following situations:
The cost of travelling between two separate work places
The cost of travelling from your workplace to other locations, e.g. client meetings, project work sites
If you're required to carry big work-related items such as tools or a ladder and these can't be left at work
You're not eligible to claim travel or vehicle expenses for:
Travel directly to and from work, as this is generally seen as private travel
If you don't live near public transport and need to drive to work
2 ways to claim your vehicle expenses as a tax deduction
Cents per kilometre method. You can claim 88 cents per kilometre driven for work related reasons up to a maximum of 5,000 business kilometres per car. The amount you can claim per kilometre is reviewed annually and subject to change.
Logbook method. You can work out the vehicles expenses and what percentage of those were business expenses. To do this, you need to keep a detailed logbook for a period of 12 continuous weeks. You need to record the travel dates, times and odometer readings, the kilometres travelled and reason for the journey.
5. Don't forget charity donations
This is one of the most common things people either forget to claim, or they incorrectly claim as a tax deduction. If you’ve only dropped some spare change in a bucket at a convenience store counter you’re probably not eligible to claim this as a tax deduction. But if you're one of the many Australians who make regular contributions to a charity every month, you can claim something back for your generosity at tax time. The rules are:
The organisation must have DGR (Deductible Gift Recipient) status
It is a gift and not something you receive material benefit or advantage for
You have proof of these payments in the form of a receipt or bank statements
The donation is the form of money or a financial asset (i.e. you can't gift items like clothes and claim the cost as a deduction)
The gift must be $2 or more
There are some contributions that the Australian Tax Office (ATO) does not classify as a gift or donation, because you receive a tangible benefit:
Raffle or art union tickets
Items such as chocolates and pens
Cost of attending fundraisers
Membership fees
Payments to school building funds as an alternative to an increase in school fees
Payments that may provide a material benefit for the donor
Bonus tip: Here's how to claim work clothing correctly
Work clothing is something that many people claim incorrectly. It must be specific work clothing that is required for your job and compulsory to wear. Despite what many people think, not everyone is entitled to claim laundry expenses as a tax deduction. Make sure your clothing meets one or more of the following criteria before claiming it as a tax expense:
It must have a logo or be registered with AusIndustry
There must be a strictly enforced policy making that item compulsory to wear. For example, simply having to wear black is not specific enough to claim as a deduction
It must be worn solely for work purposes and not worn outside of work or for personal use
The clothing is required for your protection at work (e.g. safety glasses)
The clothing is occupation specific (e.g. black and white checked pants for chefs)
Alison Banney is the money editorial manager at Finder. She covers all areas of personal finance, and her areas of expertise are superannuation, banking and saving. She has written about finance for 10 years, having previously worked at Westpac and written for several other major banks and super funds. See full bio
Alison's expertise
Alison has written 626 Finder guides across topics including:
Your tax return has a different deadline depending on which financial year you're filing for, and whether or not you're using a tax agent. See which tax return due date applies to you in this guide.
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I am looking for some information for my daughter who is a full time student and works part time. Students seem to be disadvantaged as they are covering study expenses (books, computers, internet, travel) which cannot be claimed under their part-time work taxable deductions. Do you have suggestions to assist please?
Finder
JeniAugust 27, 2018Finder
Hi Gail,
Thank you for getting in touch with Finder.
Self-education expenses are the costs students incur to undertake a course of study at a school, college, university or other recognised place of education. Since your daughter is a working student and incurs self-education expenses she may be eligible for tax deductions. In addition, she may be eligible if she receives a taxable scholarship.
You may redirect your daughter to the ATO website to check if she qualifies for tax deductions as a part-time worker and a full-time student.
The link above has an example of a work-related self-education expenses scenario and how to claim a deduction for it. I also highly suggest that you to speak to someone from the ATO for further info on this matter.
I hope this somewhat helps.
Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any other enquiries.
Thank you and have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Jeni
rhiannonJune 12, 2018
If I paid about Ten Thousand Dollars around how much will I be getting back at tax time??
Finder
JoshuaJune 14, 2018Finder
Hi Rhiannon,
Thanks for getting in touch with Finder. I hope all is well with you. :)
The answer to your question depends on your income and expenses. There are also other factors that ATO may consider. So, please seek help from a tax specialist today or visit your local tax office to learn more.
I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.
Have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Joshua
SameerJuly 12, 2017
Hi,
I need to ask that how to count the medical levy and as I am doing Certificate III Commercial Cookery through apprenticeships and working in restaurant. Please guide me. I am citizen here.
I made 56,000 last I paid 5400 in federal taxes I also paid 814 in Union dues and 4300 in childcare. Is there anyway to estimate what my tax refund would look like I claim myself and 3 children.
Finder
DeeJanuary 23, 2017Finder
Hi Slim,
Thanks for your question.
Please note that we are a financial comparison and information website that helps consumers make better decisions. We are not tax experts.
It would be best if you directly get in touch with a tax expert in your country who is able to help in preparing your tax return.
Cheers,
Anndy
HeatherOctober 6, 2016
Husband earns 92000 plus has a compnay car fuel paid services etc – he woks from home and in and office – has a uniform – should he expect any kind of tax rebate as yet we dont have any
Finder
ClarizzaOctober 7, 2016Finder
Hi Heather,
Thanks for your question.
You might find our income tax calculator useful in this case. The calculator will show how much tax your husband is liable to pay based on his gross income for the last financial year. On a gross income of $92,000, he is liable to pay $21,987.00 in tax. If he has already paid more than this amount, he may be eligible for a tax rebate. If he hasn’t paid the liable amount, then he owes the difference. There are a variety of things your husband can claim if he works from home and in an office. However, it will depend on his personal situation.
You can find more information on our guide about how to claim a home office or speak to an online tax agent to discuss your situation further.
Hope this has helped.
Clarizza
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Tip 1: Claim as many work-related expenses as you can
Good morning!
I am looking for some information for my daughter who is a full time student and works part time. Students seem to be disadvantaged as they are covering study expenses (books, computers, internet, travel) which cannot be claimed under their part-time work taxable deductions. Do you have suggestions to assist please?
Hi Gail,
Thank you for getting in touch with Finder.
Self-education expenses are the costs students incur to undertake a course of study at a school, college, university or other recognised place of education. Since your daughter is a working student and incurs self-education expenses she may be eligible for tax deductions. In addition, she may be eligible if she receives a taxable scholarship.
You may redirect your daughter to the ATO website to check if she qualifies for tax deductions as a part-time worker and a full-time student.
The link above has an example of a work-related self-education expenses scenario and how to claim a deduction for it. I also highly suggest that you to speak to someone from the ATO for further info on this matter.
I hope this somewhat helps.
Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any other enquiries.
Thank you and have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Jeni
If I paid about Ten Thousand Dollars around how much will I be getting back at tax time??
Hi Rhiannon,
Thanks for getting in touch with Finder. I hope all is well with you. :)
The answer to your question depends on your income and expenses. There are also other factors that ATO may consider. So, please seek help from a tax specialist today or visit your local tax office to learn more.
I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.
Have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Joshua
Hi,
I need to ask that how to count the medical levy and as I am doing Certificate III Commercial Cookery through apprenticeships and working in restaurant. Please guide me. I am citizen here.
Hello Sameer,
Thank you for your inquiry today.
You can access the Medicare levy calculator on the ATO website.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Jonathan
I made 56,000 last I paid 5400 in federal taxes I also paid 814 in Union dues and 4300 in childcare. Is there anyway to estimate what my tax refund would look like I claim myself and 3 children.
Hi Slim,
Thanks for your question.
Please note that we are a financial comparison and information website that helps consumers make better decisions. We are not tax experts.
It would be best if you directly get in touch with a tax expert in your country who is able to help in preparing your tax return.
Cheers,
Anndy
Husband earns 92000 plus has a compnay car fuel paid services etc – he woks from home and in and office – has a uniform – should he expect any kind of tax rebate as yet we dont have any
Hi Heather,
Thanks for your question.
You might find our income tax calculator useful in this case. The calculator will show how much tax your husband is liable to pay based on his gross income for the last financial year. On a gross income of $92,000, he is liable to pay $21,987.00 in tax. If he has already paid more than this amount, he may be eligible for a tax rebate. If he hasn’t paid the liable amount, then he owes the difference. There are a variety of things your husband can claim if he works from home and in an office. However, it will depend on his personal situation.
You can find more information on our guide about how to claim a home office or speak to an online tax agent to discuss your situation further.
Hope this has helped.
Clarizza