Suitable for: Everyone
Tax Difficulty: Easy
Time to read: 2-3 minutes
Tax Focus: Income Tax Returns
If you have been working through your tax return and have some work-related expenses that you have not yet found an appropriate section for, they may be able to be categorised as “other work-related expenses”. In this Help Centre article, we’ll go through a number of example expenses that may be claimable here, and how the Airtax tax return is able to capture these amounts.
What are some examples of other work-related expenses I can claim?
It is important to remember that you should not list any expenses that you have already claimed in other sections of your tax return, and that any expenses you claim must be incurred through your employment.
Examples of some expenses include:
- Union fees
- Professional seminars, workshops and conferences
- Reference books, technical journals and trade magazines
- Tools and equipment
- The work-related portion of the following costs:
- Interest on money borrowed to buy a computer
- Repair costs of your computer
- Internet access charges
- Phone calls
- Home office heating, cooling, lighting and cleaning costs
NOTE: if your total claim for all work-related expenses exceeds $300, you must have written evidence to support your claims - the best way to prove expenses is through a receipt/tax invoice.
What are some examples of expenses that I can’t claim on my tax return?
- Cost of entertainment
- Fines and penalties (e.g. parking, speeding fines - even if incurred on a deductible trip)
- Child care expenses
- Fees paid to social clubs
It is important to be sure that you are able to claim a deduction for certain expenses you are listing on your tax return, before you lodge. The ATO is cracking down on over-claiming, and will be auditing hundreds of individuals this financial year. At the same time, it’s important to be sure that you don’t miss out on any potential deductions. The best way you can get peace of mind knowing that you are lodging correctly is through a one-on-one Tax Assist appointment with a PwC tax account. You can find out more about Tax Assist and how to book your appointment here.
What you’ve learned:
- Some examples of other expenses that are claimable on your tax return
- Where to list these expenses on your Airtax tax return
- How to get more detailed guidance from Airtax