Capture your receipts
You can attach photos of your receipts by taking a photo or using an existing photo. If you receive an electronic receipt, you can take a screenshot and save this receipt on your mobile device. This will mean you won’t need to print the electronic receipt to take a photo of it.
You're not required to keep your original paper receipts as long as you've kept electronic copies that are a true and clear reproduction of the original. With the myDeductions tool you can take or add a photo of your receipt. Photos must show the:
- name or business name of the supplier
- amount of the expense, expressed in the currency in which it was incurred
- nature of the goods or services
- day you incur the expense
- date of the receipt.
We recommend that you regularly back up your records and keep a copy of the photos so you can substantiate your claims, if needed.
Backup, email and restore records and delete your backup
How to regularly backup your myDeductions data to a separate location in case you lose or break your smart device.
Media: How to back-up myDeductions data
https://tv.ato.gov.au/ato-tv/media?v=bd1bdiubgosjs8External Link (Duration: 01:20)
Why you should backup data
When you enter records in myDeductions, they're stored on your device. The ATO app doesn’t automatically backup or send your data and photos to us. Therefore, we highly recommend that you regularly backup your data to a separate location in case you lose or break your smart device.
If you intend to change your device, you can use the backup and restore functionality to transfer your myDeductions records to your new device.
We also recommend you backup your data prior to updating to a newer version of the ATO app when an updated app becomes available.
How to backup data
You can use either the:
- Backup option on the myDeductions tool
- your own backup process for your Apple or Android device.
If you choose to back up your data using the option in the tool, a zip file will be created, which includes:
- your photos
- a spreadsheet with all of your data
- a computer system file that can be used to import your data back into the app
- a text file with instructions on how to import your backup data back into the app.
You can:
Backup to iCloud or Google Drive
To back up myDeductions data within the ATO app to your:
- personal iCloud (for Apple users) select Backup on the myDeductions home screen and follow the prompts
- Google Drive (for Android users) select Backup on the myDeductions home screen and follow the prompts.
For Apple users, connecting to iCloud is only available for devices running iOS 9.3 or later.
If you haven’t already connected the tool to your iCloud or Google Drive, do this by selecting:
- Backup from the myDeductions home screen
- the Connect to your iCloud or Google Drive link under the Backup button.
Backup to another location
To back up your data to another location, for example, a different cloud provider or by email, select the Backup button on the myDeductions home screen:
- if you haven’t already connected the ATO app to your iCloud or Google Drive, select the Backup button
- if you have connected, select the Or backup to another location link.
How to restore or delete a backup file
You can restore or delete your backup file from:
iCloud or Google Drive
To restore or delete a backup file from your iCloud or Google Drive:
- select Backup on the myDeductions home screen
- select the file you want to restore or delete from the list at the bottom of the screen and select the relevant option.
If you are restoring onto a new device, you need to connect to your iCloud or Google Drive again to access your backup files from within the ATO app by selecting the Connect to your iCloud or Google Drive link on the Backup screen.
Another location
Go to the location of your backed up data and select the file.
Choose the Export or Open file option and then select the ATO app from the list.
In iOS, if 'ATO' doesn’t appear, you may need to select Open in first.
In Android, if a list doesn’t display you may have another app set as a default to open zip files with. Clear defaults by going to:
- Device settings
- then Apps, then the app it is opening with (for example, ‘My Files’)
- then select Set as default
- Clear defaults.
Share data by email
Use this option to email your records to:
- your tax agent
- sending data to your tax agent lets you both see all of your records and trip details (photos are not included)
- if your tax agent wants a copy of your photos, you'll need to create a backup file to send to them (iOS or Android)
- an email account for safe keeping
- a dropbox.
You can select data for one or multiple financial years to send in one file. myDeductions automatically creates a spreadsheet for you.
There is no limit as to how many times you can share your data.
To share by email, select Settings. If you're using an iPhone or Android device, select Share via email and myDeductions will create an email.
To share your records via email using an iPhone or iPad (iOS), you will require the Apple Mail app installed on your device.
Disconnect from myDeductions
If you want to disconnect from myDeductions, follow the steps below for the operating system your device uses.
Steps to disconnect myDeductions if you use:
iCloud (iOS)
To disconnect, go to your device's Settings:
- select your 'Your name (Apple ID, iCloud, Media & Purchases)',
- select iCloud and scroll down to ATO
- select Off.
Google Drive (Android)
To disconnect through:
- the ATO app
- go to myDeductions
- select Settings
- select Back up and restore
- select the overflow menu (typically 3 dots)
- select Disconnect Google Drive account
- your desktop,
- open Google Drive, go to Settings
- select Manage Apps
- select Australian Taxation Office – Options
- select Disconnect from Drive.
If you have disconnected the ATO app from Google Drive, it will not change immediately in the ATO app, however you will no longer be able to backup or restore from Google Drive.