Important information for employees
With lockdowns and social distancing restrictions, many Australian employees have left their office premises and settled into working from home. The Australian Taxation Office has recognised this and has set out a comprehensive list of expenses that you may be able to claim.
If you’ve invested money on any of the following and have evidence of your purchases, your tax agent can help you claim the appropriate deductions.
Expenses you can claim
According to the ATO, if you’re an employee who has been working from home, you can claim the following:
- electricity expenses associated with heating, cooling and lighting the area from which you are working; electricity related to operating the appliances/machines/devices you are using for work.
- cleaning costs for a dedicated work area
- phone and internet expenses
- computer consumables (e.g. printer paper and ink) and stationery
- home office equipment, including computers, printers, phones, furniture and furnishings. You can claim either the full cost of items up to $300, or the decline in value (depreciation) for items over $300.
As indicated above, you’ll need evidence of these expenses. Find out more about recording your costs with the ‘Actual cost method’ here.
Hopeless at tracking expenses?
The ATO knows it can be challenging, so they’ve introduced a temporary shortcut method to calculate your working at home expenses for the periods between:
- 1 March to 30 June 2020 in your 2019–20 tax return
- 1 July to 30 June 2021 in your 2020–21 tax return
Learn more about the ATOs ‘working from home’ arrangements here.
Of course, the information above is general. Contact us today to help you get the best return for your position.