Guide to claiming deductions

Work-related development and support

You may be able to claim deductions for:

union fees and subscriptions to associations
seminars, conferences and education workshops
books, DVDs, memory sticks and compact discs.

Union fees and subscriptions to associations

You can claim a deduction for:

union fees
subscriptions to trade, business or professional associations.

You can only claim payments of levies to a strike fund where the fund is used solely to maintain or improve the contributors' pay. Most unions and associations send members statements of the fees or subscriptions paid.

Seminars, conferences and education workshops

You can claim the cost of attending seminars, conferences or education workshops that are sufficiently connected to your work activities. This can include formal education courses provided by professional associations.

If attendance involves travel, you may have to show that you have reduced your claim to exclude any private portion of any trip.

If you have undertaken work-related education, rather than a seminar or conference, see Self-education expenses.

Books, DVDs, memory sticks and compact discs

If the item cost more than $300 you can add it to your professional library and claim a deduction for the decline in value.

For more information, refer to Work related expenses - decline in value.

If the item cost less than $300 you can claim an immediate deduction where it satisfies all of the following requirements:

It is used predominantly for earning assessable income that is not income from carrying on a business.
It is not part of a set of assets acquired in the same income year that costs more than $300.
It is not one of a number of identical or substantially identical items acquired in the same income year that together cost more than $300.

For more information, refer to Capital allowances: $300 immediate deduction tests.

If you are not eligible to claim an immediate deduction, the asset may be allocated to a low-value pool.

Refer to D6 - Low-value pool deduction.

Journals, periodicals and magazines

You can claim an immediate deduction for work-related journals, periodicals and magazines that have a content specifically related to your employment. For example, a truck driver can claim a deduction for a subscription to the Australian Truckie magazine, but cannot claim a deduction for subscribing to a magazine such as Wheels that has no specific occupational focus.

Income protection insurance

You can claim the cost of premiums you pay for insurance against the loss of your income. However, you must include any payment you receive under such a policy on your tax return.

If the policy provides for benefits of an income and capital nature, only that part of the premium attributable to the income benefit is deductible.

You can't claim a deduction for a premium or any part of a premium:

for a policy that compensates you for such things as physical injury

where the policy is taken out through your superannuation and insurance premiums are deducted from your super contributions.

For example, you cannot claim a deduction for:

life insurance premiums
trauma insurance premiums
critical care insurance premiums.

Claiming deductions - home

Sections within Other work-related expenses

Last Modified: Monday, 23 July 2012