Do you have a friend who seems unfazed by doing their taxes? (Wouldn’t that be nice!) You might have wondered, “Can I just get my friend do my taxes for me?” Okay, the basic answer is a firm “no”. There are some important reasons you should not pass your taxes over to a friend. But don’t worry – […]
The Etax Blog: Tax Tips
Tax Deductions for Nurses & Midwives
As a nurse, midwife or health professional, it’s common to purchase work-related items and pay for them yourself. And these out-of-pocket expenses are often valid tax deductions for nurses and are claimable on your next tax return. Below, we’ve covered a range of tax tips and tax deductions all nurses should read to help boost […]
Truck driver tax deductions – What you can and can’t claim
Put your taxes into a higher gear: Claim ALL the truck driver tax deductions you’re entitled to! Spending so much time away from home becomes expensive for truck drivers. Thankfully many of those expenses can be claimed as truck driver tax deductions on your annual tax return. As you would expect, maintenance and repairs of your vehicle as well as running costs […]
Rental Property Tax Deductions – made easy!
Rental property tax deductions can be confusing so we thought we would expel a few myths and clarify a few essentials when it comes to claiming your property expenses. Often, a rental property is expensive to maintain, especially if you have gaps between tenants. However, provided you purchased a solid property in a good or progressive suburb, it generally […]
Tax Deductions for Tradies – Give your refund a boost! (with Infographic)
I’m a tradie. What tax deductions can I claim? People who work in a trade such as builders, plumbers and electricians to name a few, often pay for work-related expenses out of their own pockets. And when you’re working long hours or busy meeting deadlines, it doesn’t leave you much time or energy to think […]
Top 3 Missed Tax Deductions
A great way to increase your annual tax refund is to claim tax deductions. People often ask us what tax deductions people often miss out on, so here is a quick list that might help boost your tax refund this year. Avoid these 3 commonly missed tax deductions… 1. Claim Union and Registration Fees Do […]
GST changes may impact your overseas online shopping
The Australian Government is attempting to level the playing field between Australian and overseas retailers with proposed GST changes effective from 1 July 2017. Here’s what you need to know. Australians are increasingly turning to overseas sellers when they shop online to access cheaper prices and a larger variety of goods and speciality items. The government […]
Income Protection Insurance is your safety net, with a tax-deductible perk!
It’s natural for us to want to protect everything we care about. So, why don’t more of us protect our income? Many of us insure our cars, our houses and our possessions, but how many of us protect our weekly income with income protection insurance? The answer is, no many! In fact, when we surveyed taxpayer data we discovered that […]
Private Health Insurance and Tax: Should You Get Private Health Cover?
Should I get private health insurance? Many Australians are questioning whether private health insurance still offers good value. Saving money when it comes to tax time is an important part of the decision. Consumer watchdog Choice has criticised some cheap hospital policies that technically satisfy the Medicare Levy Surcharge exemption but cover very little, leaving […]
Sun Protection Tax Deductions: Are you covered?
There are many professions that require employees to work in the sun for periods of time. With sun exposure one of the key causes of cancer in Australia, sun protection is an absolute necessity for these people. However, sunglasses, sunscreen and protective head gear can end up costing a lot of money. So what can you do? If you’re […]
Tax Deductions for University Students – What can I claim
Uni students can sometimes claim great tax deductions during their degrees and qualifications if they meet certain criteria. In this post we’ll discuss tax deductions for uni students – and outline some expenses you are not allowed to claim. It’s worth noting straight away that in order to claim any kind of tax deduction, you […]
Overseas HELP Debt – What is it?
The ATO implemented formal changes to how they recover “overseas HELP debt”. So, if you have lived overseas for more than 6 months and have a HELP debt, you may need to make HELP repayments How does the ATO recover HELP debts? Prior to 2017, Australians with a HELP or TSL debt did not have […]
Pilot and Cabin Crew Tax Deductions
We explore tax deductions for cabin crew and pilots. What if there wasn’t a welcoming cabin crew with huge smiles when we board an airplane? Where would we all be without that extra pillow, hot meal, or glass of wine to ease the tedium of being squeezed into an area the size of a cat bed for hours […]
What do I need to know about Superannuation rules?
Your employer sets aside a portion of your income as superannuation, for you to access when you retire. Strict superannuation rules and mandatory fund contributions have put Australians’ retirement savings ahead of people in many other countries that have no required retirement contributions. Superannuation is fairly straightforward for most of us who earn a wage […]
Claiming a laptop on tax: what you need to know
Many of us work after hours at home or spend part of our week working from home. If you use your own equipment for this, especially if you don’t have a work laptop or removing it from the office poses a security risk, you may be able to claim a portion of your personal computer costs […]
