Individual Tax Deductions You Should Know About To Maximise Your Returns

Do you get a wage or salary by an employer under whom you’re working as an employee in Australia? The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) basically categorise people like you as individuals. According to this rule, the ATO requires you to lodge and submit an individual tax every year on time. The expenses which you can claim on your return are associated with ATO Individual Tax Deductions in Australia. The expenses which you’ll be able to claim will depend on the particular profession which you’re presiding over.

What Can You Claim?

As already said, you can claim the expenses according to your specific profession. Prominent instances include nursing shoes for nurses, teaching aids for teachers and gym equipment for personal trainers etc. You can also claim some additional Australian tax deductions in the form of your work-related expenses too.

How Tax Deductions Work In Australia?

When you lodge individual tax return you can claim certain expenses related to your professional career. These are chiefly known as your work-related deductions. To claim these deductions effectively, make sure you’re compliant with the following prerequisites.

• The expenses which you’ll claim should pertain to the job you’re doing.
• You shouldn’t have reimbursed the cost.
• Should have spent the money all by yourself.
• You should have adequate evidence to prove it.

Are you claiming an expense that is meant both for a private and work purpose? Then, you can claim only the work-related portion of that particular cost. Remember, to know which deductions you can exactly claim, gaining adequate knowledge is imperative. This will allow you to get the best refund and pay the most minimal amount of tax to the ATO. So, evaluate your pertinent individual tax-deduction claims thoroughly.

The Most Common Tax Deductions for Individuals in Australia

So, as an individual, you may think ‘what are some of the most common tax deductions which you can claim?’ Remember, you can only claim those expenses for which you have substantial evidence or receipts. Below is a list of the most common tax deduction forms for individuals like you.

Home Office Expenses

If you are working from home then you can claim expenses on certain things including:

• Postage
• Stationary
• Home Office running costs
• Desk chairs and additional office furniture pieces.

Make sure you do not claim any expenses apart from the ones stated above.

Travel

Some travel expenses which you can claim include the following:

• Meals and accommodation if you’re away from home overnight.
• General travel costs including taxis and flights etc.
• Public transport fares.
• Parking fees.
• Motor Vehicle Expenses including fuel etc.
• Tolls-whichever is pertinent to your work-related travel.

So, claim only those expenses which are compatible according to your relevant professional profile.

Equipment

You can claim any of the following equipment expenses which only you’re eligible for:

• Tools of the trade.
• Phone-Phone accessories+Home Office.
• iPad and other small electronics which are similar to it.
• Internet usage which excludes the connection fees.
• Laptops and Computers.
• Consumables related to computer.
• Electronic organizers and calculators.

Claim only those expenses which you’re entitled to claim. There are some other individual tax deductions that you’re eligible to claim. These include expenses on clothing, fees, education and some other expenses etc.

How To Claim Tax Deductions In Australia?

So, do you wish to claim any of the tax deductions stated above? Then, you must comply with certain criteria in the proper and expected way. These include the following:

• You should have spent the entire amount of money by yourself which shouldn’t have been reimbursed.
• The work-related deduction which you’re claiming should be directly linked to the income you’re earning.
• Make sure all these circumstances are proved through substantial evidence.

Remember, you must claim only the work-related portion if the expenses were meant for both private and professional purposes. Work expenses which are reimbursed by your employer to you are not considered deductible. The ATO will then obtain information from your employer if they think you’ve claimed a deduction for an expense for which you were already reimbursed. You can also claim a deduction for expenses which are directly related to your work.

Additional Work-related Deductions

Some of the work-related expenses which you can additionally claim include the following:

• Undeducted purchase price of an annuity or overseas pension.
• Personal super contributions.
• Dividend, interest and other investment income deductions.
• The interest which the ATO charges.
• Donations and Gifts.
• Expenses related to tax affairs management.
• ATO interest-calculating and reporting.

Remember, that employees (including casuals) can claim work-related costs during the financial year when they were incurred. This implies you’ve started your employment from July but didn’t receive income till the forthcoming financial year. Then, you’ll be able to claim all the work-related expenses merely for the month of July itself.