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Your Work-Related Tax Deduction Checklist For This Year’s Tax Return Made Easy

Posted on May 9, 2022 by admin

The end of the financial year is coming up next month (30 June), and you may be looking for ways in which you could make tax savings in this year’s tax return. This could be through tax deductions, expenses that you could make now for your work purposes or even with tax offsets introduced by the government. Whatever your tax situation, we’re equipped and ready to help you navigate the tricks and traps of income tax returns.

Upon completing a tax return, individuals are entitled to claim deductions for expenses that are directly related to their income. These can come in a variety of forms, but must usually be work-related to be claimable. 

There are three requirements individuals must meet to be able to claim a work-related deduction:

If an expense was for work and private purposes, individuals can claim a deduction for the work-related portion.

Here are some common types of deductible expenses taxpayers like employees and rental property owners can claim this financial year:

Home Office Expenses

The past year may have seen you working more from home or remotely than ever before, and setting up a home office may have incurred a number of additional expenses. Some of the expenses that you may be able to claim as tax deductions include

With home office equipment, you may be able to claim either:

Unless you meet very specific requirements, you probably will not be able to claim for home expenses, such as mortgage interest, rent and rates, or the cost of general household items. 

If you plan to use the temporary ATO approved ‘shortcut method’ (80 cents per hour for all additional running expenses) to claim your deductions, you cannot claim any other expenses for working from home for that period. If you purchased a desk to use when working from home for example, you cannot claim a deduction for that separately as it is covered by the 80 cents per hour work rate. The deadline for this method of calculation is 30 June 2022 (unless it is extended). 

Clothing Expenses

Individuals can make a claim for work-related clothing expenses including compulsory, non-compulsory and registered uniforms, occupation-specific and protective clothing, and expenses associated with work-related clothing, such as dry cleaning, laundry and repair expenses.

Self-education Expenses

Individuals can prepay self-education items before the end of the income year, including:

–        course fees (not HECS-HELP fees), student union fees and tutorial fees

–        stationery and textbook purchases

Other Work-related Expenses

Individuals can prepay the following expenses before 1 July 2022:

–        union fees

–        seminars and conferences

–        subscriptions to trade, professional or business associations

–        subscriptions to magazines and newspapers

If you are looking for assistance in working out potential expenses that you could incur prior to the end of the financial year, have queries about your claims or just want to prepare for 30 June 2022, start a conversation with us now. We are tax planning professionals ready and willing to help. 

 

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No More Shortcuts: The Methods You Can Use To Claim WFH Expenses

Posted on March 25, 2024 by admin

Ensure you’re up to date on how to claim your working-from-home expenses!

As the business landscape shifts back and forth between office, hybrid and home-based work opportunities, it’s important to remember what methods are available to you when it comes to claiming. If part of your role allows you to work from home, you may be able to claim certain expenses on your tax return this year using one of the following methods.

The Revised Fixed Rate Method:

Under the revised fixed rate method, individuals can claim 67 cents per hour worked from home during the relevant income year. This rate includes additional running expenses, such as home and mobile internet or data, phone usage, and electricity and gas for heating, cooling, and lighting. Importantly, using this method, you cannot claim separate deductions for these expenses.

To use this method, taxpayers must maintain records of the total number of hours worked from home and the expenses incurred while working at home. Additionally, they must keep records of expenses not covered by the fixed rate per work hour, demonstrating the work-related portion of those expenses.

What Records Do You Need?

Previously, taxpayers required a dedicated workspace at home. From 1st March 2023 onwards, the record-keeping requirement has shifted again, necessitating the recording of all hours worked from home as they occur.

How Does The Fixed Rate Method Work?

To utilise the revised fixed rate method:

The Actual Cost Method:

Alternatively, taxpayers can opt for the actual cost method, where deductions are calculated based on actual additional expenses incurred while working from home. This includes expenses for depreciating assets, energy expenses, phone and internet, stationery, computer consumables, and cleaning dedicated home offices.

What Records Do You Need?

To claim work-from-home expenses using actual costs, you must maintain records showing:

How Does The Actual Cost Method Work?

To claim actual expenses:

Australians need to understand their entitlements and tax deductions while working remotely.

Consulting with a tax advisor can provide valuable insights into available concessions, deductions, and offsets for your tax return.

By staying informed and adhering to ATO guidelines, taxpayers can ensure compliance and make the most of available deductions in the evolving landscape of remote work. Why not start a conversation with us today?

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