Cleaners

If you are employed as a cleaner, this guide will help you to work out what you can claim in your tax return.

Last updated 25 May 2016

Other work-related expenses

Did you have other expenses relating to your work as an employee?

Here is a list of other expenses commonly incurred by employee cleaners. For more information about the deductibility of these expenses, see question D5 in Individual tax return instructions.

Capital allowances

You can claim a deduction for depreciating assets you purchase and use for work. The deduction you can claim is worked out on the effective life of the equipment and the decline in value of equipment over the time it is used for work. If you also use the equipment for private purposes, you cannot claim a deduction for that part of the decline in value.

See also:

Guide to depreciating assets 2016 (NAT 1996)

You cannot claim a deduction if the equipment is supplied by your employer or any other person.

You may be able to claim a capital allowance for the following equipment:

answering machines
telephones
facsimile machines
mobile phones
pagers
other telecommunications equipment.

Low-value pool

You also have the option to pool equipment costing less than $1,000 and equipment written down to less than $1,000 under the diminishing value method. You work out a deduction for the decline in value of equipment in this low-value pool by a single calculation using set rates.

For more information on claiming a deduction for a low-value pool, see question D6 in Individual tax return instructions and make your claim at item D6 on your tax return.

Equipment costing $300 or less

You can claim an immediate deduction for equipment you purchase and use for work costing $300 or less.

You cannot claim an immediate deduction if:

the equipment is part of a set that you buy in the same income year and the total cost of the set is more than $300 (the set rule), or
the equipment is one of a number of identical or substantially identical items you buy in an income year and the total cost of the items is more than $300 (the multiples rule).

Glasses and contact lenses

You may claim the cost of protective sunglasses if you are required to work outdoors and as a result you are exposed to risk of eye damage from sunlight, see Sunglasses, sunhats and sunscreens.

Insurance of tools and equipment

You can claim a deduction for the cost of insuring your tools and equipment to the extent that you use them for work.

Interest costs

You can claim the cost of interest on money borrowed to purchase work-related equipment. If you also use the equipment was also used for private purposes, you cannot claim a deduction for that part of the interest.

Meals

You cannot claim a deduction for the cost of meals eaten during a normal working day as it is a private expense, even if you receive an allowance to cover the meal expense. For information about claiming deductions for the cost of meals eaten during overtime, see Overtime meals.

Overtime meals

An amount for overtime meals that is part of your normal salary and wage income is taxed as part of your income. It is not an 'overtime meal allowance'.

You must include amounts you received as overtime meal allowance at item 2 on your tax return.

You can claim for overtime meal expenses only on those occasions when:

you worked overtime and
your employer paid you an overtime meal allowance under an industrial law, award or agreement.

You will need written evidence if your claim per meal is more than the rate stated in:

If you received an award overtime meal allowance which is not shown on a payment summary, you may choose not to include the allowance as income at item 2 on your tax return, and not claim a deduction, as long as:

the allowance does not exceed the Commissioner’s reasonable amounts, and
you have fully spent it on deductible expenses.

Protective equipment

You can claim a deduction for the cost of protective items such as gloves, safety glasses, goggles and breathing masks.

Repairs

You can claim a deduction for the cost of repairing tools and equipment for work.

If the tools or equipment were also used for private purposes, you cannot claim a deduction for that part of the repair cost.

Seminars, conferences and training courses

You cannot claim a deduction for the cost of a language course to improve your English-speaking skills, even if your attendance is encouraged by your employer. This cost is a private expense connected to your personal self-development.

Sunglasses, sunhats and sunscreens

You can claim a deduction for the cost of sunglasses, sunhats and sunscreen lotions if: your work requires you to work in the sun for all or part of the day, and you use these items to protect yourself from the sun while at work.

Stationery

You can claim a deduction for the cost of street directories, logbooks, diaries, pens and other stationery to the extent that you use them for work.

Technical or professional publications

You can claim a deduction for the cost of journals, periodicals and magazines that have a content sufficiently connected to your employment as an employee cleaner, for example, the magazine Inclean.

Telephone calls, telephone rental and connection costs

You can claim a deduction for the cost of work-related telephone calls.

You can claim a deduction for your telephone rental if you can show that you are on call or are regularly required to telephone your employer while you are away from your workplace. If you also use your telephone for private purposes, you must apportion the cost of telephone rental between work-related and private use.

You cannot claim a deduction for the cost of connecting a telephone, mobile phone, pager or any other telecommunications equipment as it is a capital expense.

You cannot claim a deduction for the cost of an unlisted telephone number (silent number) as it is a private expense.

Union and professional association fees

You can claim a deduction for union and professional association fees. If the amount you paid is shown on your payment summary, you can use it to prove your claim. You can claim a deduction for a levy paid in certain circumstances, for example, to protect the interests of members and their jobs.

You cannot claim a deduction for:

joining fees
levies or other amounts you paid to assist families of employees suffering financial difficulties as a result of employees being on strike or having been laid off.

QC48193