About question D5
This question is about any other work-related expenses you incurred as an employee and have not already claimed, including:
- union fees and subscriptions to trade, business or professional associations
- overtime meal expenses, provided that
- the amount for overtime meals has not been included as part of your normal salary or wages, for example, under a workplace agreement
- you received a genuine overtime meal allowance from your employer that was paid under an industrial law, award or agreement
- you have included the amount of the meal allowance as income at item 2, and
- if your claim was more than $25.80 per meal, you have written evidence, such as receipts or diary entries, that shows the cost of the meals
- professional seminars, courses, conferences and workshops
- reference books, technical journals and trade magazines
- tools and equipment and professional libraries; you may be able to claim an immediate deduction for an item that cost $300 or less, otherwise, you claim a deduction for the decline in value of an item over its effective life; see Guide to depreciating assets 2011 (NAT 1996) for more information
- items that protect you from the risk of injury or illness posed by your work or your work environment, such as hard hats, safety glasses and sunscreens (but not protective clothing and footwear, which you claim at item D3)
- the work-related proportion of the following costs
- interest on money borrowed to buy a computer
- repair costs for the computer
- the decline in value of the computer (you may need to make a balancing adjustment if you no longer own or use the computer and you previously claimed a deduction for its decline in value; see Guide to depreciating assets 2011 for more information)
- internet access charges
- phone calls
- phone rental if you can show you were on call or were regularly required to phone your employer or clients while away from your workplace
- the decline in value of your home office furniture and fittings
- home office heating, cooling, lighting and cleaning costs.
For your home office expenses, you can:
- keep a diary of the details of your actual costs and your work-related use of the office, or
- use a fixed rate of 34.0 cents per hour for heating, cooling, lighting and the decline in value of furniture in your home office.
You can use the home office expenses calculator to work out your claim. Generally, you cannot claim a deduction for occupancy expenses such as rent, rates, mortgage interest and insurance.
You cannot claim any deduction for the decline in value of laptops, portable printers, personal digital assistants, calculators, mobile phones, computer software, protective clothing, briefcases and tools of trade primarily for use in your employment if the item was provided to you by your employer, or some or all of the cost of the item was paid or reimbursed by your employer, and the benefit was exempt from fringe benefits tax.
Did you have any other work-related expenses? |
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No |
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Yes |
Read below. |
Answering this question
You will need some of the following:
- your PAYG payment summary - individual non-business
- statements from your bank, building society or credit union
- receipts, invoices or written evidence from your supplier or association
- other written evidence.
If your total claim for all work-related expenses exceeds $300, you must have written evidence. See Keeping your tax records for more information.
If you received assessable income from your work as an employee outside Australia, including any assessable foreign employment income shown on your PAYG payment summary - foreign employment, you can claim any work-related expenses you incurred in earning that income at this item provided you have not already claimed the expense at another item.
Completing your tax return
Step 1
Add up all the expenses that you can claim at this item.
To work out the amount you can claim for depreciating assets, see Guide to depreciating assets 2011.
Step 2
Write the total amount at E item D5.
More information
For more information, see:
- Guide to depreciating assets 2011 (NAT 1996) for information on decline in value and balancing adjustments
- Taxation Ruling TR 93/30 - Income tax: deductions for home office expenses
- Taxation Ruling TR 2004/6 - Income tax: substantiation exception for reasonable travel and overtime meal allowance expenses
- Law Administration Practice Statement PS LA 2001/6 - Home office expenses: diaries of use and calculation of home office expenses
- Law Administration Practice Statement PS LA 2005/7 - Substantiation of deductions claimed by individual taxpayers for work and car expenses incurred in the course of earning non-business and non-investment income.
Where to go next
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