Work Related Expenses:

If clients are claiming a work-related expense deduction, they need to satisfy the following:

  • they must have spent the money
  • it must be related to their job
  • they must have a record to prove it.
  • Claim all work related deductions to minimize your tax bill and hopefully get yourself a tax refund. Think of everything you’ve had to buy to carry out your job this financial year.
  • If you work from home you can even claim part of your rent, internet connection and electricity bills. Don’t forget your charity donations!
  • If you can’t find receipts, go back and see if they can give you a copy of the receipt or invoice. Bank and credit card statements showing details of purchases can also be used.  (Source: www.ato.gov.au)

popular myth is that you taxpayers can claim $300 in all labels of the tax return. CLARIFICATION: No, a maximum of $300 worth deductions can be claimed without substantiation

You can claim

Other work-related expenses include:

  • Union fees and subscriptions to trade, business or professional associations
  • overtime meal expenses, if you received an overtime meal allowance from your employer that was paid under an industrial law, award or agreement, and you
    • bought and consumed the meal during your overtime
    • included the amount of the meal allowance as allowance income at Salary, wages, allowances, tips, bonuses
    • kept written evidence, such as receipts, if your claim was more than $37.65 per meal.
  • reference books, technical journals and trade magazines
  • the work-related portion of tools and equipment, such as a computer or office furniture and professional libraries; you may be able to claim
    • an immediate deduction for the cost of depreciating assets costing $300 or less
    • a deduction for the decline in value of an item that cost more than $300 over its effective life (however, if you no longer own or use an item and you previously claimed a deduction for its decline in value, you may need to make a balancing adjustment – see Guide to depreciating assets).
  • the work-related portion of items that protect you from the risk of injury or illness posed by your work or your work environment, such as
  • the work-related portion of the following costs
    • interest on money you borrowed to buy tools and equipment
    • repair costs for the tools and equipment
    • phone or internet usage (if you haven’t already claimed working from home expenses using the fixed rate method)
    • phone rental, if you can show you were on call or needed to regularly phone your employer or clients while away from your workplace
    • additional running expenses you incurred because you worked from home
    • COVID-19 test expenses