Study your deductions before lodging your return

Teachers! We’re here to help with everything you need to know about claiming a work-related deduction at tax time.
 

Top tips for claiming your deductions

  1. Check out the ATO’s tailored occupation guide for teachers and education professionals. It will help you understand what you can and can’t claim at tax time, as well as some handy information on reporting your income and allowances and keeping your records!
  2. Follow the three golden rules when claiming your work-related expenses. Simply make sure:
    • you spent the money yourself (and weren’t reimbursed)
    • the expense directly relates to earning your income
    • you have a record to prove it (usually a receipt).

     

  3. Don’t copy and paste. There have been a number of changes to the way you claim common deductions this tax time, such as how you calculate a working from home deduction, and an increase to the cents per kilometre rate for car expenses – so don’t be tempted to just copy and paste your deductions from last year.

 

Claiming a work from home deduction

If you’re eligible to claim working from home (WFH) expenses this tax time, it’s important to know about some recent changes to the way you calculate your deduction.

And while your fluffy slippers and dressing gown you wear to work from home are not deductible, there are some additional running expenses you can claim – as long as you meet the eligibility criteria and have records to substantiate your expenses.

To claim a working from home deduction for the 2022-23 income year, there are two options – the revised fixed rate method, or the actual cost method.

From 1 July 2022, the revised fixed rate method:

  • has increased the rate from 52 cents to 67 cents per hour worked from home
  • removes the requirement to have a dedicated home office space
  • works out your claim for:
    • electricity and gas
    • phone and internet usage
    • computer consumables
    • stationery
  • allows taxpayers to separately claim the work-related portion of the decline in value of depreciating assets – such as office furniture and technology.

The record keeping requirements have also changed.

If you don't use the revised fixed rate method to calculate your working from home expenses, you need to use the actual costs method. The temporary shortcut method is no longer available.

To find out more, see ato.gov.au/home
 

Car expenses

Did you know you may be able to claim car expenses when you drive your own car to and from an alternate workplace on the same day – for example, driving directly from your school, to a pool for a school swimming carnival.

However, you can’t claim the cost of normal trips between home and work, and you can’t claim car expenses for a car you use under a salary sacrifice or novated lease arrangement.

To claim your car expenses, you can choose between the logbook method, or the cents per kilometre method to work out your deduction – as long as your work trip meets the eligibility criteria, you’re keeping the right records, and that you haven’t already been reimbursed by your employer.
 

Keep. Good. Records.

Check out the myDeductions tool in the ATO app for a fast and easy way to store your receipts and keep track of your records! The myDeductions tool allows you to capture information on the go by simply snapping a photo. You can then upload your records straight into your return at tax time or email them to your registered tax agent.