This one surprises a lot of people. The fee you paid to have your 2024–25 tax return prepared is deductible on your 2025–26 return. That means if you used North Coast Accounting last year, you can claim that cost right now.
This applies to the accountant's fee, any travel to the appointment, and even postage costs involved in managing your tax affairs. It's one of the easiest deductions to miss because the timing throws people off — you claim last year's fee this year.
With millions of Australians working remotely — even just a few days a week — this deduction is often underclaimed or claimed incorrectly.
For 2025–26 you can use the fixed rate of 70 cents per hour worked from home. This covers electricity, internet, phone, stationery, and computer consumables in a single, simple calculation. You just need a record of your actual hours worked from home (a diary, roster, or timesheet).
If your home office costs are high, the actual cost method may give you an even bigger deduction — covering a portion of rent or mortgage interest, cleaning, depreciation on furniture, and more.
Don't forget: You can also separately claim the depreciation on equipment like a second monitor, desk, or office chair used for work.
Work-related travel is frequently underclaimed. Many people know they can claim travel between work sites or to client meetings — but forget to track it throughout the year, then find themselves scrambling.
For 2025–26, the cents per kilometre rate is 88 cents (up from 85 cents), and you can claim up to 5,000 km this way without a logbook. If you drive more than that for work, a logbook could unlock a much larger deduction.
Commonly missed travel claims include:
Note: the regular commute from home to your usual workplace is not deductible.
If you did a course, attended a conference, or bought books or subscriptions to improve skills you already use in your current job, there's a good chance it's deductible. Many people wrongly assume study has to lead to a formal qualification to count.
What you can claim:
The key rule: the education must relate to your current job, not a career you're looking to move into. A nurse studying nursing management — deductible. A nurse studying accounting — not deductible.
If you pay annual fees to a union, professional association, or industry body related to your work, those fees are fully deductible. This is one of the most consistently forgotten deductions — people pay it by direct debit and forget it exists.
Think: nursing and medical associations, teaching unions, engineering or accounting bodies, real estate institute memberships, trade union fees. Check your bank statements — you may have been paying and forgetting to claim for years.
If you hold income protection insurance outside of super, the premiums you pay are fully tax deductible. This is one of the most valuable and most overlooked deductions in Australia.
Important distinction: life insurance, trauma cover, and TPD (total and permanent disability) insurance premiums are generally not deductible. Only the portion that specifically covers loss of income qualifies. If your policy bundles multiple types of cover, you may need to split the premium.
Check your policy and your bank statements — if you're paying income protection premiums and not claiming them, you've been missing out.
Most working Australians use their personal mobile and home internet for work purposes at least some of the time. The work-related portion of those costs is deductible — but you need to keep records to justify your claim.
The ATO expects you to calculate a reasonable work-use percentage based on your actual usage. A simple method is to review one month of calls and data and apply that percentage to the full year's bill.
If you use your phone heavily for work, this can add up to a meaningful deduction — especially when combined with your internet bill.
Any tools, equipment, or technology you purchase for work can be claimed. For items costing $300 or less, you can claim the full cost immediately in the year of purchase. For items over $300, you claim the depreciation over the asset's useful life.
Things people forget to claim:
If you have investments — shares, managed funds, or rental properties — there's a whole category of deductions that are easily overlooked:
These deductions sit in the "investments" section of your return and many people simply leave them blank.
Donations of $2 or more to a registered Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) are fully tax deductible — but only if you have a receipt, and only if you received nothing in return. That means straightforward donations to recognised charities, not raffle tickets, gala dinners, or fundraising events where you received something.
The key question to ask: did you receive anything in return for the payment? If the answer is no, and the organisation is a registered DGR, you can claim it.
Check your bank statements and emails for the year — many people make several donations and only remember one or two at tax time.
The golden rule for all of these is the same: keep your records. The ATO can ask you to substantiate any claim, so whether it's a bank statement, receipt, diary entry, or invoice — hold onto it.
A deduction you didn't claim is money you've effectively given to the ATO for free. With the right records and a registered tax agent in your corner, there's no reason to leave any of it behind.
Our team knows every deduction you're entitled to — and we'll make sure nothing gets missed. Whether you're an employee, investor, sole trader, or small business owner, we'll get your return right and your refund maximised. Book your appointment with North Coast Accounting today.
This blog is general information only and does not constitute tax advice. Deductibility depends on your individual circumstances. For personalised advice, speak with a tax specialist at North Coast Accounting
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