Check Occupation Guides To Maximise Tax Deductions

The end of the financial year is almost upon us, so get ready for filling out your tax return by making sure you’ve claimed all the recognised deductions for your job.

Yes, June 30 is almost here. Throughout this week, we’ll be running a series of tips on how to make sure you’re getting everything you’re entitled to when you submit your tax return, and techniques you can use to organise yourself so that tax time is less of a burden. (As ever, consult an ATO-registered professional for specific advice on your own situation.)

One useful group of resources which aren’t as widely known as they should be are the occupation-specific guides which the Australian Tax Office produces, outlining what deductions are allowed and not allowed for particular jobs. For instance, the guide for IT professionals points out that you can’t claim travel expenses to the office even if you’re required to be on call, but can claim travel to conferences if those costs haven’t been paid by your employer.

Something appearing in a guide isn’t a rock-solid guarantee it won’t get questioned — you’ll still need receipts and a justification for the expense — but it does provide good basic guidelines and might clue you in to some deductions you’ve missed.

Industries and occupations [ATO]