Amounts you do or don't include
You must include all the income you receive during the income year as an apprentice or trainee in your tax return, this includes:
- salary and wages, including bonus or cash payments
- allowances
- compensation and insurance payments – for example, payments made under an income protection insurance policy to replace salary and wages.
Don't include as income any reimbursements you receive.
Your income statement or a payment summary will show all your salary, wages and allowances for the income year.
Allowances
You must include all allowances your employer reports on your income statement or payment summary as income in your tax return.
An allowance is where your employer pays you an amount as an estimate of costs you might incur:
- to help you pay for a work expense – for example, meal allowance when you travel for work
- as compensation for an aspect of your work such as working conditions or industry peculiarities – for example, living and working in a remote area
- as an amount for having special duties, skills or qualifications – for example, first aid qualifications.
Your employer may not include some allowances on your income statement. Find out about declaring income and claiming deductions for Allowances not on your income statement or payment summary.
Allowances not on your income statement or payment summary
If you receive an allowance from your employer, it does not automatically mean you can claim a deduction.
Your employer may not include some allowances on your income statement, you will find these amounts on your payslip. You don't need to declare these allowances as income in your tax return, unless you're claiming a deduction. Examples include travel allowances and overtime meal allowances.
If you spend the allowance amount on work expenses, you:
- don't include it as income in your tax return
- can't claim any deductions for the work expenses the allowance covers.
If you're not claiming a deduction, you don't need to keep any records of the amounts you spend.
If you spend your allowance on a deductible work-related expense, to claim a deduction you:
- include the allowance as income in your tax return
- include a claim for the work expenses you incur in your tax return
- must have records of your expenses.
If you can claim a deduction, the amount of the deduction is not usually the same amount as the allowance you have receive.
Allowances and claiming a deduction
The following table sets out allowances you may receive and when you can claim a deduction.
|
Reason for allowance |
Example of allowance type |
Deduction (Yes or No) |
|---|---|---|
|
Compensation for an aspect of your work that is unpleasant, special or dangerous or for industry peculiarities |
Inclement weather |
No These allowances don't help you pay for deductible work-related expenses |
|
An amount for certain expenses |
Tool and equipment allowance |
Yes If you incur deductible expenses |
|
An amount for special skills |
A first aid certificate |
Yes If you incur deductible expenses |
Reimbursements
If your employer pays you the exact amount for expenses you incur (either before or after you incur them), the payment is a reimbursement.
A reimbursement isn't considered to be an allowance.
If your employer reimburses you for expenses you incur:
- you don't include the reimbursement as income in your tax return
- you can't claim a deduction for the expense.
Find out about apprentice or trainees: