Tax Tips for Airline Workers

Fly into these awesome tax deductions!

Remember: To claim your tax deductions you must follow the ATO’s 3 Golden Rules: 

You must have spent the money and not be reimbursed
It must be directly related to your income
You must have a record to prove it

Self Education 
You may be able to claim the fees for training courses or uni courses that are directly related to your current job. 
Other training expenses you could claim are:
Books and/or training manuals
Travel costs 
Internet (the percentage used for training – keep a one month log)
Accommodation and meals (if you are required to stay overnight) 
Tools and equipment that are required for the course

Accommodation 
Accommodation costs when you are working away from home and required to stay overnight for work duties – this includes compulsory rest breaks after being on duty or before starting duty. 
Meals when away from home or working overtime
Incidental costs while away from home (e.g. coffee, snacks etc.) 

Travel 
Note: You cannot claim home to work travel
Work-related car travel e.g. travelling between two places of work, travelling to training, seminars etc. 
Public transport and taxi fares

Uniforms & Protective Clothing
You can claim the cost of an airline’s compulsory uniform including the uniform itself, stockings etc. if it is outlined in your uniform policy. 
You can claim the cost of dry cleaning, mending and washing your compulsory uniform. 
If you are required to guide customers outside of the plane, you may be able to claim the cost of sunscreen and sunglasses. 

Other work-related expenses
You can claim the work percentage of your mobile phone use (you’ll need to keep a one month logbook for this) 
First Aid equipment
Re-hydrating moisturisers and conditioners
Luggage purchased solely for your job – if the expense is under $300 you can claim it outright, if over $300 you’ll need to spread the deduction over a few years. 
Stationery, diaries, logbooks
Tax agent fees
Income protection insurance premiums 
Donations to deductible gift recipient charities
Personal super contributions (after tax)

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