Tax Tips for Mechanics

Rev up your tax refund with these tax deductions…

Uniforms & Protective Wear
You can claim the cost of purchasing, washing and mending Uniforms that have your employer’s logo permanently attached. 

You may also be able to claim:
Heavy duty shorts, trousers and overalls
Steel cap boots &
Protective Equipment including sun hats & sunglasses if you’re out in the sun.

Motor Vehicle Expenses
You can claim work-related travel e.g. to collect supplies, travel to a different garage. 

Home to work travel is not tax deductible. 

Keep a diary tracking your kilometres. 

Tools & Equipment
If you have to purchase your own tools or equipment for work you may be able to claim a tax deduction. 

If the expense is under $300, you can claim it outright.
If the expense is over $300, you’ll need to spread the expense over a few years.

Don’t worry – we do all the maths for this, all you need is the date you bought the item, how much it was, and you need to know what kind of tool it is. 

Other Work-Related Expenses
You may also be able to claim the following expenses:

Workplace licences
Union Fees
Mechanical journals or books
Stationery

Mobile Phone and/or Internet (Keep a one-month logbook tracking your work calls and work use)
Course/Training expenses + travel 

Need logbooks? All of our logbooks come with instructions and the calculations required to work out your work use percentage! You can find these inside your tax return.