Tax Return:: Tax Deductions for Nurses

Hello, this is your tax and super specialist, P&C Tax Professionals.

Did you know you could be missing out on a tax deduction you may be eligible for as a nurse? For your convenience, we have come up with a fairly extensive list of some of the tax deductions that are commonly claimed by nurses.

<Tax Deductible Work-related Expenses>

Membership/Union fee: Any professional nursing association membership fees or union fees you have to pay annually.

Uniform/Laundry fees: Health professionals including nurses are, at most times, required to wear occupation specific clothing for the public to easily identify and recognise them as a nurse. As a result, any work uniform expenses that are incurred as part of carrying out your employment activities as a nurse can be included as a tax deduction.

On an additional note, any clothing that are every day in nature and are not distinct to your occupation must be excluded from the tax deductions you are claiming.

Stationery: For example, pens, paper, work diaries, planners, log books, work books etc. which you use for work.

Internet and Mobile fee: If you are required to use your personal devices during work, you can claim the work-related percentage of your internet and mobile bills.

Computer/Laptop: If you have used your personal computer or laptop for work purposes, you are able to claim the depreciation costs for such devices or equipment you have purchased for work.

For example, if you have purchased a laptop for $800, you cannot claim for the full $800 as your tax deduction but instead the acquisition price is spread over the entire useful life of the asset. This means you may only claim the depreciated amount of the item each year until the end of the useful life of the asset.

Car expenses: There may be instances whereby nurses would have to transport their patients to another facility or where they would need to travel between different medical practices as part of their work. Car expenses that arise due to such activities will normally be included as part of the motor vehicle tax deduction.

Self-education expenses: Self-education expenses that directly relates to your current job would qualify as a tax deduction (e.g., a wound care course). If you have enrolled in a course with an intention to find a new job or if the course only relates to your job in a general way, unfortunately you would not be able to claim your self-education expenses as a tax deduction.

Subscription fee: If you have subscribed to nursing magazines, books and/or journals and you have paid for the subscription fee, you can claim a deduction for the subscription fee as long as it’s related to your occupation and it will help you further develop your knowledge as a nurse.

<Written Evidence to Claim Tax Deductions>

If you are planning on claiming your laundry expenses, there are specific requirements in terms of the written evidence you would need to provide depending on the claim amount. If your laundry expense amount to less than $150, there is no need to provide written evidence of the expense. However, if your laundry expense sums up to more than $150 or if your total work-related expenses sum up to over $300, you would need written evidence of your laundry expenses.

When it comes to your self-education/study expenses, you would always need to provide the tax invoice receipt of the fees you have paid for your studies. Please ensure that the date of the invoice, details of the fees and the total amount of the fee is clearly shown on the receipt.

If you are ever unsure of whether a given expense is tax deductible or not, it is best to still keep records of your expenses and consult with your accountant. For any questions or enquiries regarding lodging your tax return, please do not hesitate to contact us through our Facebook Page (P&C Tax Professionals – Australia) or reach out to us on our email address at pnctax@naver.com.

Thank you and bye for now!