What you can claim.
Working-from-home running costs (fixed-rate method)
The ATO's fixed-rate method lets you claim a set hourly amount covering electricity, gas, phone, internet, stationery and computer consumables. The condition people miss: you need a record of your actual hours worked from home across the whole year — a diary, timesheet or calendar — plus at least one bill for each type of expense the rate covers. Estimates no longer cut it.
Home office equipment and furniture
Monitors, desks, chairs, laptops, keyboards and docks you paid for yourself are claimable to the extent you use them for work — and separately from the fixed-rate method. Lower-cost items can usually be deducted in full in the year of purchase; pricier ones are depreciated over their effective life. Keep every receipt and note your work-use percentage at the time you buy.
Phone and internet — but not twice
If you use the fixed-rate method, phone and internet are already baked into the hourly rate — claiming them again is a classic double-dip the ATO checks for. If you use the actual-cost method instead, work out a fair work-use percentage from a typical month's bills, apply it across the year, and keep those bills as evidence.
Professional memberships and subscriptions
Union fees, professional association memberships and subscriptions tied to your work — industry journals, or software you personally pay for and use in your job — are generally deductible. Your renewal notice or annual statement is usually all the evidence you need. Anything your employer reimburses is off the table, so only claim what actually left your own pocket.
Self-education for your current role
Courses, short courses, conferences, seminars and textbooks are claimable when they maintain or improve skills you use in your current job, or are likely to increase your income from it. Study aimed at switching careers doesn't qualify. Keep invoices, and if you travel to attend, keep those records too — travel connected to deductible study can often be claimed.
Income protection insurance (outside super)
Premiums for a policy that replaces your income if you can't work are generally deductible — but only when you pay them yourself, outside your super fund. Life, trauma and total-and-permanent-disability cover aren't deductible. Your insurer sends an annual tax statement showing the deductible portion; file it with your records so it's ready at tax time.
Work bags, stationery and small extras
A bag bought mainly to carry your laptop, documents or work equipment can be claimed for its work-use portion — a handbag used mostly for personal items can't. Stationery, diaries, printer ink and computer accessories you buy for work also count, unless you've already claimed them within the fixed-rate method. Receipts make these small claims easy to defend.
What you generally can't claim
Commuting between home and the office isn't deductible, even when you answer emails on the train. Everyday clothes — suits, business attire, comfortable WFH wear — are private, no matter how strict the dress code. Same goes for coffee, lunches, childcare while you work, and occupancy costs like rent or mortgage interest as an employee working from home.
What to have ready.
- A record of your hours worked from home for the full year — diary, timesheet, roster or calendar export
- Receipts for home office equipment and furniture, with a note of each item's work-use percentage
- A representative phone and internet bill if you claim actual costs instead of the fixed rate
- Union or professional membership renewal notices
- Invoices for courses, conferences or textbooks related to your current role
- Your income protection insurer's annual tax statement (for policies held outside super)
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Start for $99Common questions.
Can I claim rent or mortgage interest because I work from home?
Generally not as an employee. Occupancy costs — rent, mortgage interest, council rates, home insurance — usually stay private unless your home is genuinely a place of business, which is rare for remote employees. Claiming them can also create capital gains tax issues when you sell. Running costs, via the ATO's fixed-rate or actual-cost methods, are the safer, standard territory for office workers.
Do I really need a diary of my work-from-home hours?
Yes, if you want to use the fixed-rate method. The ATO expects a record of your actual hours across the whole income year — a diary, timesheet, roster or calendar — and no longer accepts a short representative sample or a rough estimate. If you haven't kept one, start now, and gather what evidence you do have; an accountant can advise what's usable.
Can I claim my laptop if my employer paid for it or reimbursed me?
No — you can only claim expenses you actually paid yourself and weren't reimbursed for. If your employer supplied the laptop or paid you back, there's nothing to claim. If you bought it yourself and use it partly for work, you can claim the work-related portion, spread over its effective life if it's an expensive item. Keep the receipt either way.
How does MYIDTAX work, and what does it cost?
You answer simple questions online — about four minutes, from $99 — and pick "Ask my accountant" on anything you're unsure about. A real accountant reviews your return and emails you with questions or suggestions before anything is lodged. Your final fee is confirmed by email first, then you receive a secure Stripe invoice. Nothing is charged upfront.
This guide is general information only and doesn’t consider your personal circumstances — it isn’t tax advice. Eligibility rules, rates and thresholds change; your accountant confirms what applies to you before anything is lodged. Keep receipts for everything you claim.