Work in the cleaning industry might not be easy sometimes. Requires physical effort and a lot of responsibility. Even though, you must know that you can have a little award back coming from the deductions in your tax return at tax time.

As a cleaning worker, you can deduct the following expenses related to your earned income:

1) Tools, equipment and other assets

If you buy tools, equipment or other assets to help you to get the work done, such as vacuums, sprayers, polishers, etc, you can claim a deduction for all of them.

If the equipment individually or as a part of a set costs $300 or less you can claim an immediate deduction for their cost, if costs more than $300 you will need to claim the depreciation on the item over a number of years. Precent can help you with claiming depreciation, please contact us.

2) Clothing, uniforms and protective items

You can claim a deduction for the cost of buying and cleaning uniforms you need for your job, occupation-specific clothing, protective clothing and items.

Protective clothing include safety-coloured vests, steel-capped boots, overalls, smocks, aprons, safety glasses and protective eyewear, sun-protection clothing, sunscreen, hats, etc.

You will need to show to the ATO written evidence of your purcha ses. We recommend you to take pictures of your receipts as is a good way to keep them safe.

3) Car expenses

If you are required to use your car for work purposes, you can claim a deduction just for the following situations:

• If you travel directly between two separate workplaces because you have two different employers.
• Trips from your normal workplace to another place just for work-related purposes.
• To transport heavy cleaning stuffs and cleaning equipment to and from your home and your place of work. Example, if you can’t leave your equipment at work.

You can calculate your work-related car expenses using two methods: a) cents per kilometre and b) Logbook. Check out our blog ´How to claim tax deductions for work-related car expenses’. Also, Precent can help you calculating your work-related car expenses, please contact our professional team.

4) Self-education

You can claim a deduction for a formal course or attendance to a seminar. Remember, these courses need to have a sufficient connection to your current work as a cleaner. The idea to take a course or go to a seminar is to develop your skills and knowledge.

Self-education expenses can include accommodation and meals, course fees, textbooks, internet usage.   

5) Meals expenses

You can claim a deduction for overtime meal expenses only in these situations:

• You worked overtime
• Your employer paid you an overtime meal allowance under an industrial law, award or agreement.

Consider that is important to keep written evidences. We recommend you to take pictures of your receipts as is a good way to keep them safe.

6) Other expenses

Also, you can claim the following expenses:

• Cash shortages or clients bad debts
• Glasses and contact lenses
• Income protection insurance
• Project pool deducitons
• Working with children checks
• Phone expenses
• Travel expenses
• Work-related subscriptions / Memberships
• Union fees
• Licence renewals
• Tax agent fees
• Home office expenses

More information

This information is a general guide for our clients. Precent can help you to find out what expenses you can claim as a cleaning worker. For more information contact us at [email protected], or call us to (+ 61) 2 8317 1281.