Tax Return And Deduction Checklist For Part-Time Jobs
Tax Return And Deduction Checklist For Part-Time Jobs
As a part-time worker in Australia, handling the complexities of tax returns and deductions can be tough.
However, with the right knowledge and preparation, you can ensure you’re claiming every eligible deduction and getting the most out of your tax refund.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through the essential elements to consider when lodging your tax return as a part-time employee.
Do You Need To Lodge A Tax Return?
If you are employed as a full-time, part-time, or casual employee during the year and earn over the tax-free threshold set at $18,200, you must lodge a tax return. Even if you are under that threshold, you may need to if, say, you find yourself in a situation where your employer has withheld some taxes, which you want refunded.
For the 2023 income year, with the low-income tax offset in place, you can earn up to $21,884 before you have to pay any tax, thus reducing your tax liability to zero-a large part of which you can get back at the end of the year, anyway. Since then, updated tax amounts for 2025 have increased the amount to $22,575.
Managing Taxes With Multiple Part-Time Jobs
Due to the flexibility of the schedules and hours of employment, working several part-time employees has its tax implications. This is because most Employers only enable you to complete the tax-free threshold with them and this is in most cases your main Employer. Any add-on jobs will then be subjected to working progress tax rates as provided for by the ATO or the Australian Taxation Office.
Therefore, you may get to incur higher taxation relating to your other sources of income. In order to avoid such problems, make certain that you complete the tax declaration forms for their jobs properly. You will also need to know about the deductions that are there to assist you in paying off any additional taxes as you are billed.
Deductible Expenses For Part-Time Workers
To maximise your tax refund, you need to be aware of the deductions available to you. As a part-time worker, there are several expenses you can claim.
Here’s a checklist of common deductions to look out for:
| Deduction Type | What You Can Claim | What You Can’t Claim |
|---|---|---|
| Travel Expenses | Travel between jobs, or from one work location to another. Travel costs using your car or public transport for work purposes, such as meetings or client visits. | Your daily commute from home to work is not deductible unless travelling between multiple jobs. |
| Clothing Expenses | Costs for occupation-specific clothing, protective gear (e.g., boots, sun protection), and uniforms with logos. | General work clothes like black pants or a white shirt, even if worn for work, cannot be claimed. |
| Equipment and Tools | Work-related equipment costing under $300 can be claimed immediately. Equipment over $300 can be depreciated over time. | Tools or equipment used for personal activities, or that aren’t directly related to your job, cannot be claimed. |
| Self-Education | Expenses related to courses that improve your work skills or lead to a higher income, such as tuition fees or materials. | Courses that are unrelated to your current job or future earnings potential are not deductible. |
| Other Work-Related Costs | Expenses such as phone and internet bills (if used for work), union fees, and professional memberships. | Any portion of expenses related to personal use cannot be claimed. For example, you can only claim the work-related percentage of phone use. |
Let’s understand these deductions in detail.
1) Travel Expenses
This is unavoidable especially if you work in two or more places, therefore; this is also categorised under travel expenses. The expenses for the transfers between employment or various worksites, for instance, different meetings or meetings with the clients, are deductible. However, a trip home to work is normally not allowed unless it is between two employment positions at the same time.
Documentation that may include receipts and logbooks should be well retained in order to support the claims made. The ATO is very particular when it comes to travel deductions and therefore you should make sure that you record all the amounts accurately.
It’s important to note that while high-income earners will still see tax cuts, the benefits are more evenly distributed across income brackets compared to the original plan.
2) Clothing And Uniforms
If it can be said that clothes are those to be worn at work, such as steel-toed shoes, hats for heads, goggles on the eyes of welders and other workers exposed to the sun, among others, then the cost of such clothes can be claimed.
Other examples of clothing that can also be claimed are the working wear that is incorporated in an organisation’s working dress code, and working wear bearing the company’s emblem. Nevertheless, you cannot claim general working wear such as black pants, shirts or shoes even when one wears them at work. It also has to be either occupation-related or protective wear to count.
3) Equipment And Tools
If you use tools or equipment for your job, you can claim a deduction based on their cost. If you use tools or equipment for your job, you can claim a deduction based on their cost: A business person can offset against his or her assessable income value of items that cost less than $300 in the year of acquisition.
If the tool costs more than $300, or it is a part of a set that costs more than $300 then you will be able to claim depreciation on it. It is also important to retain such receipts and evidence of when you bought the equipment especially if you will be using it in both your business and casual activities. If such equipment is used in both contexts, one will be required to estimate the extent of personal and business use of the equipment in question.
4) Self-Education Expenses
If you are pursuing education as an employee to acquire more skills in your present job or as a means of enhancing your salary, you might be eligible for the self-education expense. In order to be entitled to this course, the course should be relevant to your current employment and has to lead to or likely to lead to a higher wage.
You cannot claim the self-education expenses if you are studying a course which is not needed for your job, like changing over to a different career field. Documentation is again important here so one should always retain all the receipts and other relevant records that relate to the cost of study.
5) General Work-Related Expenses
Apart from the specific deductions above, there are some other work-related expenses which you could claim:
- Phone and internet costs – If you use them to help you work
- Union fees
- Professional memberships
Remember, you can only claim the part of these expenses that relates to work. For example, if you also use the phone for personal calls you can only claim the part of your telephone bill related to work calls.
Need Help With Your Tax Return?
Handling tax returns and deductions can be overwhelming, especially if you have multiple part-time jobs. At KPG Taxation, our experienced professionals are here to guide you through every step, from identifying eligible deductions to maximising your refund. Let us take the stress out of tax season with secure, efficient, and personalised tax return services. Contact us today to make sure you’re getting the most out of your tax return and staying compliant with ATO regulations.
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