Dress for Work, Claim for the Expense

1. Work-Related Expenses that You Can Claim, Part 2 Posted on 10 December 2018 It pays to know what expenses you can claim for when you’re on working holiday in Australia. For this edition, let’s talk your work clothing expenses. Dress for Work, Claim for the Expense Many jobs you’ll come by will have clothing expenses. The good news is, uniform or work-appropriate clothing expenses are claimable—so are the laundry and dry-cleaning expensesfor them. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) defines three types of work-related clothing: Occupation-Specific Clothing Work-specific clothing can be bought from clothing stores (and look like everyday use) but they are distinct and recognisable as marks of your profession. The most common example are business suits. The black trousers and white (or black) shirts used in the service industry (for servers, bartenders and the like) are another. Swimwear used by swimming and scuba instructors may also be store-bought but can be classified as work-specific clothing. Work Uniforms Work uniforms are designed especially for your employer and may have the company logo stitched or printed permanently into the clothing. While occupation-specific clothing can be bought easily enough, you need to order your work uniforms from the company. In order for you to make a claim, your work uniform must be compulsory. Protective Clothing Protective clothing is required for demanding and laborious work. They are worn to protect you from risk of injury or illness. They are required for rigorous working conditions like under the direct sun, at baking or industrial kilns, carpentry and masonry, and others.

2. Cleaning Expenses It’s doubly good news that you can claim your expenses on cleaning, but there’s one hard and fast rule to remember: keep all receipts and records for the washing, drying and ironing, or dry-cleaning your work clothes. If you lose any of these, however, there are still certain conditions which will enable you to still claim even without written evidence. Clothing and cleaning expenses you cannot claim: There are, however, a few expenses that are may not be covered, including shoes, stockings and socks, and other single items. Non-compulsory work uniforms may not be covered by your claim. Need to know more about these rules? We’re here to help! Australia is the idyllic summer paradise for working holiday makers—more so, if you know how to make the most out of your income. Find out more about the work-related expenses you can claim for with Part 4 of “Expenses You Can Claim”. Happy travels! Get more information from our series on work-related expenses! Click this linkto read our other posts. Claim Your Tax Back Now!