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Tax Deductions Australia

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Don’t Throw These Tax Receipts Away Yet

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Don’t throw away tax receipts yet. Learn what records to keep for your 2026 tax return, common deduction proof traps, and how GoTax helps online this tax time.

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Don’t Throw These Tax Receipts Away Yet

Quick answer

Do not throw away your tax receipts before lodging your 2026 tax return.

For your 2026 Australian tax return, the current ATO record-keeping rules still apply. That means if you claim a deduction, you generally need records showing what you spent, when you spent it, who you paid, and how the expense relates to earning your income.

The proposed $1,000 standard deduction does not apply to your 2026 tax return.

So yes, keep the receipts.

Even the boring ones.

Especially the boring ones. They are usually the ones that save you money.

GoTax helps Australians complete their tax returns online, with returns checked by registered tax agents before lodgement.

Start your 2026 tax return online with GoTax

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Why receipts still matter in 2026

A tax deduction is only useful if you can support it.

The ATO’s guidance on how to claim deductions explains that you generally need records to claim deductions.

The ATO also has a dedicated guide on records you need to keep.

In plain English:

You cannot just say, “I bought work stuff.”

You need to show it.

A good record usually helps prove:

Record detail	Why it matters
Date	Shows the expense belongs to the correct tax year
Supplier	Shows who you paid
Amount	Shows how much you spent
Item or service	Shows what you bought
Work connection	Shows why it relates to earning income
Work-use percentage	Shows how much was deductible if partly private

A receipt is not just paper.

It is your deduction’s alibi.

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The $1,000 deduction does not save your 2026 receipts

This is the big one.

There has been plenty of noise about the proposed $1,000 standard deduction for work-related expenses.

Do not let that noise empty your receipt folder.

The proposed standard deduction does not apply to your 2026 tax return. It is intended for the 2026–27 income year, generally lodged in 2027.

Your 2026 tax return covers the year ending 30 June 2026.

So for 2026:

• keep receipts

• keep invoices

• keep records

• keep logbooks

• keep work-from-home records

• keep donation evidence

• keep tax agent fee records

• keep ABN records

Do not let a headline prepare your tax return.

Headlines are excellent at attracting attention and terrible at substantiating deductions.

Read the GoTax guide: Should You Still Keep Receipts Under the $1,000 Tax Deduction?

Also read: $1,000 Tax Deduction 2026 Return?

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Keep receipts for work-related expenses

If you paid for work-related items during the year, keep the records.

This may include:

• tools

• equipment

• laptops

• monitors

• stationery

• software

• subscriptions

• uniforms

• protective clothing

• work bags

• professional fees

• licences

• registrations

The expense must be connected to earning your income.

That does not mean “I used it once while thinking about work.”

It means there must be a real connection between the expense and your job or income-producing activity.

If an expense is partly private and partly work-related, you generally only claim the work-related portion.

Example:

Expense	Use	Possible claim
Laptop	70% work, 30% private	Work-related portion only
Phone bill	40% work, 60% private	Work-related portion only
Work boots	Used only for work	Potentially 100%
Normal jeans	Worn to work	Usually not deductible

The receipt helps prove what was bought.

Your calculation helps prove the work-related portion.

Both matter.

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Keep phone and internet records

Phone and internet claims are common.

They are also commonly overcooked.

If you use your personal phone or internet for work, keep:

• phone bills

• internet bills

• data usage records

• call records

• employer communication records

• work-use diary

• four-week usage pattern

A phone bill alone may not prove the work-related percentage.

You need a reasonable basis.

If you claim 30% of your phone as work-related, be ready to explain why 30% makes sense.

Claiming 100% because your manager once texted you “Can you talk?” is not a method.

It is workplace trauma with a tax label.

Read the GoTax guide: Mobile Phone & Internet Tax Deductions

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Keep working-from-home records

If you worked from home in the 2025–26 income year, keep records of your hours and expenses.

The ATO’s working from home expenses guidance explains the methods used to claim home office running costs.

For the 2025–26 year, the fixed rate method is 70 cents per hour.

But you still need records showing the hours worked from home.

Useful records may include:

• timesheets

• rosters

• diary notes

• calendar entries

• employer records

• work logs

• screenshots of work schedules

Do not estimate the whole year from memory.

Memory is not a record.

Memory is what tells you the receipt is “probably somewhere safe”. It is often lying.

Related GoTax guide: What Is the 2026 Working From Home Fixed Rate?

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Keep car expense records

Car claims need proper records.

If you use the cents per kilometre method, you do not need fuel receipts for that method, but you still need to show how you calculated your eligible work-related kilometres.

If you use the logbook method, you need stronger records, including a valid logbook and actual car expense records.

Keep:

• odometer readings

• work trip records

• diary entries

• job sheets

• client visit records

• fuel records

• servicing receipts

• repair invoices

• registration records

• insurance records

• toll records

• parking records

• logbook entries

The ATO’s cents per kilometre method uses 88 cents per eligible work kilometre for the 2025–26 income year.

The ATO’s logbook method requires proper car-use records.

Read the GoTax guides:

Car Expense Tax Deductions Explained for 2026

Logbook vs Cents per Kilometre 2026

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Keep donation receipts

Donation receipts matter.

You may be able to claim donations if the donation was made to a deductible gift recipient, was usually $2 or more, and you did not receive a material benefit in return.

The ATO explains this in its guide to gifts and donations.

Keep:

• donation receipts

• email confirmations

• workplace giving summaries

• charity account summaries

• bank records

Do not assume every nice payment is deductible.

Payment	Usually deductible?
Donation to eligible DGR charity	Potentially yes
Raffle ticket	Usually no
Fundraising chocolate	Usually no
Charity auction purchase	Usually no
Event ticket	Usually no

Generosity is lovely.

Tax deductibility is pickier.

Rude, but accurate.

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Keep tax agent fee records

Tax agent fees are commonly missed because they usually relate to last year’s return.

If you paid a registered tax agent to prepare your prior year return, you may be able to claim that fee in your current return as a cost of managing your tax affairs.

The ATO explains this under cost of managing tax affairs.

Keep:

• tax agent invoices

• GoTax payment records

• bank statements

• email receipts

• accountant invoices

• prior year tax preparation records

This is one of those deductions people miss because it is not glamorous.

Tax agent fees will survive not being glamorous.

Most useful things do.

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Keep income protection insurance records

Income protection insurance can be deductible where it protects income such as salary or wages.

The ATO explains this in its guide to income protection insurance.

Keep:

• insurance policy documents

• premium notices

• annual statements

• payment records

• apportionment details for mixed policies

Be careful with mixed insurance policies.

A policy may include income protection, life insurance, trauma cover or TPD cover. Not every part is treated the same way.

Do not claim the whole invoice just because the PDF looked official.

Official-looking PDFs have caused plenty of trouble.

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Keep ABN and business records

If you earn income under an ABN, record-keeping becomes even more important.

ABN holders may need records for:

• income

• invoices

• business expenses

• bank statements

• vehicle use

• phone and internet

• home office

• tools and equipment

• software

• subcontractors

• insurance

• advertising

• GST records where relevant

• business-use percentage calculations

Business records need to separate private and business use.

Having an ABN does not magically turn every purchase into a business expense.

That would be convenient.

It would also be nonsense.

Read the GoTax ABN Tax Deductions Guide.

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Keep rental property records

Rental property deductions can be valuable, but they are also an ATO focus area.

Keep:

• loan statements

• interest records

• council rates

• water rates

• insurance

• property management statements

• repair invoices

• maintenance receipts

• advertising costs

• depreciation reports

• capital works records

• travel records where relevant

• private-use calculations

• holiday-home records where relevant

Do not throw away rental records just because the property manager sends an annual statement.

The annual statement is useful.

It may not explain every tax issue.

Repairs, improvements, private use, refinancing, redraws and mixed-purpose loans can all complicate the claim.

Tax law looked at rental property schedules and decided they needed extra personality.

Unhelpfully, it gave them audit risk.

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What if you lost the receipt?

If a receipt is missing, do not immediately give up.

You may have other evidence.

Look for:

• bank statements

• credit card statements

• email confirmations

• supplier account history

• app records

• screenshots

• diary notes

• logbooks

• employer records

• payment confirmations

• duplicate invoices

But be sensible.

A bank statement may prove you paid a supplier. It may not prove what you bought or whether it was work-related.

“Bunnings $138” could be tools.

It could also be mulch, fairy lights and a sausage sizzle.

The ATO may want more detail.

Read the GoTax guide: Can You Claim Tax Deductions Without Receipts in 2026?

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How long should you keep tax records?

As a general rule, you should keep tax records for five years from when you lodge your tax return.

Some records may need to be kept longer, especially where they relate to assets, capital gains, rental properties, business records or claims that affect future years.

The ATO’s guide to records you need to keep is the safest reference.

If you are unsure whether a record matters, keep it.

Digital storage is cheaper than arguing with the ATO later.

That is not a quote from the tax law.

It should be.

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What receipts should you not bother keeping?

You do not need to keep every private life receipt just because tax time exists.

You generally do not need tax records for clearly private expenses such as:

• groceries

• ordinary personal clothing

• private entertainment

• normal commuting costs

• personal holidays

• private streaming services

• school lunches

• personal grooming

• family gifts

• private home expenses with no work connection

But be careful.

Some expenses may be partly work-related and partly private.

In that case, keep the record and work out the correct percentage.

The answer is not always “claim it all” or “throw it out”.

Sometimes the answer is “do the boring middle bit”.

Tax loves the boring middle bit.

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Before you lodge, check these receipt categories

Before you finalise your 2026 tax return, check for:

• phone and internet bills

• working-from-home records

• car kilometre records

• logbook records

• tool receipts

• equipment receipts

• software subscriptions

• union fees

• professional memberships

• training costs

• donation receipts

• income protection insurance

• tax agent fees

• ABN expenses

• rental property expenses

• investment expense records

• personal super contribution notices

• anything unusual or large

Then ask:

Can I prove it?

If the answer is yes, review whether it belongs in your return.

If the answer is no, read the no-receipt guide before you delete the claim completely.

If the answer is “sort of”, maybe do not let confidence drive the car.

Confidence has no licence.

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How GoTax helps

GoTax is built to make deductions and records easier.

You complete your tax return online.
You work through plain-English deduction prompts.
You include your income and expenses.
Your return is checked by registered tax agents before lodgement.

That means you are less likely to miss useful deductions and less likely to rely on “I think I had a receipt somewhere” as a tax strategy.

You can also use the GoTax Deduction Grabber App to capture receipts before they disappear into your car, kitchen drawer or emotional avoidance pile.

For a broader guide, read EOFY Tax Records 2026.

Start your 2026 tax return online with GoTax

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Frequently asked questions

Should I keep receipts for my 2026 tax return?

Yes. If you are claiming deductions in your 2026 tax return, keep receipts and supporting records. The proposed $1,000 standard deduction does not apply to the 2026 return.

Does the $1,000 standard deduction apply to my 2026 tax return?

No. The proposed $1,000 standard deduction does not apply to the 2026 tax return. The current deduction and record-keeping rules still apply.

What records should I keep for tax deductions?

Keep receipts, invoices, bank statements, diary records, logbooks, employer records, donation receipts, tax agent invoices, insurance statements and any calculations showing work-related use.

Can I claim a deduction if I lost the receipt?

Sometimes. Other records such as bank statements, email confirmations, supplier invoices, diary notes or logbooks may help. But you still need to prove the expense and its connection to earning income.

Is a bank statement enough for a tax deduction?

A bank statement can help prove payment, but it may not prove what was bought or whether the expense was work-related. More evidence may be needed.

How long should I keep tax records?

As a general rule, keep tax records for five years from when you lodge your return. Some records may need to be kept longer if they relate to assets, rental properties, capital gains or future-year claims.

Do I need receipts for working from home?

You need records to support working-from-home claims, including hours worked from home and evidence that you incurred relevant expenses. The records required depend on the method used.

Do I need fuel receipts for cents per kilometre?

No, not for the cents per kilometre method. But you still need records showing how you calculated your eligible work-related kilometres.

Should ABN holders keep more records?

Yes. ABN holders should keep business income and expense records, invoices, receipts, bank statements, vehicle records, home office records and business-use calculations.

Does GoTax check deduction claims?

Yes. GoTax helps you complete your tax return online, and returns are checked by registered tax agents before lodgement.

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About the Author

Written by Mark Walmsley, Chartered Accountant and Registered Tax Agent.

GoTax helps Australians complete their tax returns online, with returns checked by registered tax agents before lodgement.

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General Information Disclaimer

This article provides general information only and does not take into account your personal circumstances. Tax law can change and deduction eligibility depends on your income, occupation, records and specific facts. If you are unsure, seek advice from a registered tax agent.