Can I Claim Travel, Meals, and Accommodation on My Tax Return in 2025?

Gotax Publishing – 27 October 2025
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Travel for Work? Know What You Can (and Can’t) Claim

If you’ve travelled for work in the past year—whether it’s a conference, client visit, or overnight shift—you might be wondering:
Can I claim those travel costs on my tax return?

The answer is yes—but only if you meet the ATO’s strict criteria. Claiming travel, meals, and accommodation incorrectly can trigger audits or penalties. Gotax helps you claim what’s legal, compliant, and maximises your tax refund.

What Counts as Work-Related Travel?

To claim travel expenses, your trip must be:

• Directly related to your current employment
• Required by your employer or business
• Away from home overnight

Examples of deductible travel:

• Flying interstate for a work conference
• Driving to a remote job site and staying overnight
• Staying in a hotel for a multi-day client visit

Not deductible:

• Daily commuting to and from work
• Travel that’s partly for personal reasons
• Meals during regular workdays

What You Can Claim

If your travel meets the ATO’s criteria, you may be able to claim:

Transport

• Flights, trains, buses, taxis, rideshare
• Car hire and fuel (if not reimbursed)
• Work-related tolls and parking

Accommodation

• Hotel, motel, or Airbnb costs
• Cleaning and laundry while travelling

Meals

• Breakfast, lunch, dinner while away overnight
• Snacks and incidentals (within ATO limits)

Important: You must be travelling overnight for meals and accommodation to be deductible.

What Are “Reasonable Allowances”?

The ATO publishes annual reasonable allowance limits for meals and accommodation. If your employer pays you a travel allowance and your claim is within these limits, you may not need full receipts.

2025–26 ATO Reasonable Limits (examples):

• $32.55 for dinner (capital cities)
• $24.70 for lunch
• $16.65 for breakfast
• $195/night for accommodation (Sydney CBD)

Note: These vary by location, role, and travel type. Gotax checks your claim against current ATO rates.  There are restrictions on when these rates apply.

Do You Need a Travel Diary?

Yes—if your trip is longer than 6 nights or you’re claiming actual costs. Your travel diary should include:

• Dates and times
• Locations visited
• Purpose of each activity
• Expenses incurred

Gotax prompts you to upload or record this during lodgement.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Claiming meals without overnight travel
• Claiming travel that includes personal activities
• Forgetting to subtract employer reimbursements
• No receipts or travel diary for actual cost claims
• Using outdated ATO rates

Gotax flags risky claims before you lodge, so you stay compliant.

Real-World Example

Jess is a civil engineer who travels from Brisbane to Melbourne for a 3-day site inspection.

• Flights: $420
• Hotel: $580
• Meals: $165
• Taxi: $90

She keeps a travel diary and her employer pays no allowance. Jess claims $1,255 in travel expenses, boosting her tax refund by $400.

FAQs

Can I claim meals if I didn’t stay overnight?
No. Meals are only deductible if you’re travelling overnight for work.

Do I need receipts for everything?
Yes—unless you’re claiming within ATO reasonable limits and received a travel allowance.

Can I claim travel for a job interview?
No. Travel for job-seeking is not deductible.

Can I claim accommodation if I work away from home regularly?
Only if you’re not living there permanently and the travel is temporary.

Does Gotax help with travel claims?
Yes. Gotax prompts you for eligible travel deductions and checks them against ATO rules.

Travel Smart, Claim Smart

Work-related travel can lead to valuable tax deductions—but only if you follow the rules. Meals, accommodation, and transport are deductible when you’re away overnight for work and keep proper records.

Gotax makes it easy. We guide you through every step, prompt you for eligible claims, and keep you compliant with ATO standards.

Lodge smarter. Claim more. Use Gotax.

Learn more from the Gotax Library

Mandatory Disclaimer

This blog is an information source only. Make sure you seek professional advice, like Gotax, before you act on its contents.