Tax Deductions for Teachers

IN THIS ARTICLE

• Overtime meal expenses
• Travel expenses
• Car expenses
• Uniforms and protective clothing
• Equipment and tools
• Other work-related expenses
• General expenses

DEDUCTIONS YOU CAN CLAIM

OVERTIME MEAL EXPENSES

If you receive a meal allowance from your employer that is based on an industrial legislation, award, or agreement and that allowance is reflected separately on your PAYG certificate, you may be able to claim the cost of meals when working overtime. Without keeping receipts, you can claim the full cost of the meal or the maximum allowed by the Australian Taxation Office. Any amounts claimed in excess of that must be accompanied by receipts.

TRAVEL EXPENSES

If you are traveling to or from meetings, seminars, conferences, or training that are not being held at your regular place of employment, you may be able to claim the cost of your trip (including any parking, tolls, taxis, and public transportation).

If you must spend the night away from home for the reasons mentioned above, you may be able to claim a tax deduction for the cost of your lodging and any meals you ate.

UNIFORMS AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

As a teacher, you may deduct the price of your uniform as long as it bears the emblem of your job.

You can deduct a number of protective clothing items that are specifically for teachers on your taxes, such as safety gear like goggles and gloves, clothing for sun protection, and sunscreen.

Any of the aforementioned qualified work-related or protective apparel can be claimed, together with the expense of renting, maintaining, and cleaning it.

EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS

Typical tools and equipment that teachers can deduct from their taxes include:

• Technology includes laptops, iPads, and mobile phones.
• Pens and paper, including planners, diaries, and logbooks
• Carry bags for laptops and briefcases

OTHER WORK-RELATED EXPENSES

Teachers may deduct a variety of additional costs linked to their jobs from their taxes, such as:

• Union dues (such as those to the Teachers Federation) and membership fees
• Journal and magazine subscriptions of a professional nature
• Newspapers bought for classroom use
• Expenses related to a home office (see Home Office Expenses)
• Books about education and references
• A stopwatch
• Fees for conferences and seminars
• Internet and phone charges (just for the fraction connected to work).

GENERAL EXPENSES

Additionally, there are a number of general tax deductions that are open to everyone regardless of profession or occupation, such as:

• Self-education
• Tax agent fees
• Donations to registered charities
• Income Protection Insurance

DEDUCTIONS YOU CANNOT CLAIM

CAR EXPENSES

The expense of travel to and from work and vice versa is not admissible. No matter how close or far you live from your workplace, this still holds true. If you work after hours, it still applies to you. An illustration of the latter would be if you had to attend a parent-teacher interview that took place after work hours.

CLOTHING EXPENSES

This holds true whether you purchase the same, hire a cleaner, or decide to have it cleaned for your regular job attire. This also applies to the shoes you wear to work.

SELF-EDUCATION EXPENSES

If your self-education is of a general character or if you are only paying for it to get qualified for a particular job, you cannot claim the costs.

WORK FROM HOME EXPENSES

Even if milk, tea, or coffee are provided free of charge at work, you cannot claim expenditures for these items or other common household commodities. Similarly, any item provided by your employer, such as laptops and cell phones, cannot also be claimed. Finally, you are not permitted to submit a claim for products that your company has already paid for.

OTHER EXPENSES

Gifts that you purchase for your pupils, costs that they would have incurred had you not chosen to cover them, vaccines, and flu injections are all exempt from being written off as expenses.