What you can claim.
Tools and equipment
Drills, saws, grinders, hand tools and toolboxes you buy for work are deductible. Gear costing $300 or less can generally be claimed in full in the year you buy it; anything dearer is claimed over several years as it declines in value. Tool claims are a known audit focus for construction workers, so keep every receipt — a photo on your phone is fine.
Steel-caps, hi-vis and protective gear
Steel-capped boots, hi-vis shirts and vests, hard hats, safety glasses, ear protection and heavy-duty gloves are claimable because they protect you from real risks on site. You can also claim the cost of laundering and repairing them. Hang on to receipts — and remember plain jeans, shorts and tees aren't protective clothing, even if you'd never wear them anywhere else.
Sun protection
Outdoor work makes sunscreen, sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat legitimate deductions — the ATO accepts them for workers exposed to the sun as part of the job. If you also use them privately, claim only the work-related share. Receipts matter here too; a summer's worth of sunscreen and a decent pair of sunnies adds up faster than you'd think.
Licences, tickets and training
Renewing tickets you need for your current job — working at heights, EWP, forklift, confined space — is deductible, and so are courses that build skills for the trade you're already in. Your standard driver's licence isn't claimable, and neither is the white card or training you paid for before you started in the industry. Keep the invoices.
Car travel with bulky tools
Your normal drive to a regular site is private, but two exceptions matter for tradies: travelling between different sites or jobs during the day, and carting bulky tools your employer requires when there's no secure storage on site. Claim using the ATO's cents-per-kilometre method or a logbook — a logbook usually does better for a ute doing real kilometres, but it needs fuel and running-cost records behind it.
Phone and data for quotes and site calls
If you use your own phone to take bookings, send quotes, order materials or sort out site problems, claim the work-related share of your plan. Work out a fair work percentage from a typical month of calls and data, and keep your bills as evidence. If the boss supplies your phone or reimburses the bill, there's nothing left to claim.
Union and association fees
Fees you pay to a union or a trade association are deductible in the year you pay them. They're often taken straight from your pay, so check your income statement and your union's annual statement rather than relying on memory. It's one of the simplest claims on a tradie's return — but it still needs a paper trail.
Apprentice tool deductions
Apprentices claim tools under the same rules as qualified tradies — cheaper items in full, dearer gear over its effective life. On an apprentice wage every deduction counts, so start photographing receipts from your first week. One catch: tools and gear bought before you started earning in the trade generally can't be claimed, so time big purchases carefully.
What you generally can't claim
Everyday clothes without protective features, the normal commute from home to a single regular site, lunches and smoko, fines, and anything your employer paid for or reimbursed — none of it is deductible, no matter how work-related it feels. Claiming these is one of the quickest ways to attract ATO attention, and it can cost more than it saves.
What to have ready.
- End-of-year income statement (pre-filled from the ATO in most cases)
- Receipts for tools, safety gear, sun protection and laundry costs
- A logbook or diary of work trips, plus fuel and running-cost records if you use the logbook method
- Recent phone bills with a note of your work-use percentage
- Invoices for licence renewals, tickets and course fees
- Union or trade association fee statements
Start your tax return.
Answer simple questions online — tick “Ask my accountant” on anything you’re unsure about. A real accountant reviews your return and emails you. Nothing is charged until your final fee is confirmed.
Start for $99Common questions.
Can I claim my ute on tax as a tradie?
You can claim the work-related portion of running a ute or van — trips between sites, runs to suppliers, and home-to-work travel when you're required to carry bulky tools with no secure storage on site. Use the ATO's cents-per-kilometre method or a logbook. The plain home-to-site commute without bulky gear isn't claimable, and the quality of your records decides how much you actually get.
Can apprentices claim tools they buy?
Yes — once you're earning income in your trade, tools and equipment you pay for yourself are deductible under the same rules as any other tradie. Cheaper items can usually be claimed in full straight away; expensive gear is claimed over several years. Keep receipts for everything, and note that gear bought before your apprenticeship started generally isn't claimable.
What can I claim without receipts?
Less than most site rumours suggest. The ATO allows small claims without receipts in limited cases, but you still have to show how you worked the amount out, and the caps are low. For a tradie with genuine tool, travel and gear costs, relying on no-receipt shortcuts usually means claiming less than you're entitled to. Photograph receipts as you go — it takes seconds.
How does MYIDTAX work for tradies?
You answer simple questions online in about four minutes — from $99, with nothing charged upfront. Not sure whether that new drop saw or your ute setup is claimable? Choose "Ask my accountant" and move on. A real accountant reviews your return, emails you with any questions, and confirms the final fee by email before sending a secure Stripe invoice.
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.