Can i claim my pants | 2023 Gotax

According to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), you can’t claim a deduction for the cost of purchasing or cleaning clothes you bought to wear for work that are not specific to your occupation, such as black trousers and a white shirt, or a suit, even if your employer says this is compulsory.  This is because the ATO deems that normal day wear that you might wear to work is considered a normal life cost and accordingly non deductible private expenditure.

However, you can claim your costs to buy or clean occupation-specific clothing that distinctly identifies you as a person associated with a particular occupation, such as a chef’s chequered pants or a judge’s robe.

For example, if you are a chef and you wear chequered pants to work, you can claim the cost of purchasing and cleaning those pants on your tax return, because chequered pants is unique to the Industry and not considered normal day clothes.  However, if you are an office worker and you wear black trousers to work, you cannot claim the cost of purchasing and cleaning those pants on your tax return.

It is important to note that falsely claiming pants as a tax deduction can result in penalties. The ATO has systems in place to detect false claims and may audit your tax return if they suspect that you have made a false claim.

Whether or not you can claim your pants that you wear to work as a tax deduction depends on whether the pants are occupation-specific clothing that distinctly identifies you as a person associated with a particular occupation. Falsely claiming pants as a tax deduction is illegal and can result in penalties.

When unsure always consult with Gotax.  We can set you on the right path.

And to track all those tax deductions throughout the year, use the Gotax Deduction Grabber App.  Scan here to get started.