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Unlocking your Tax Deductions: ATO Occupation-Specific Guides

Date: 26 August 2025

Unlocking your Tax Deductions: ATO Occupation-Specific Guides

Tax time doesn’t have to be a scramble. Whether you’re an office worker, teacher or a tradie, the ATO provide a broad range of Occupation Specific Guides to help you collate your tax records that apply to you more specifically.

Why use these guides?

The ATO’s guides are designed to help you:

  • Work out what income and allowances to declare
  • Identify deductible expenses
  • Know which records you need to retain

The Three Golden Rules for Deductions

  1. You spent the Money yourself, and you were not reimbursed by your employer
  2. The expense relates directly to you earning income
  3. You have records (Receipts) showing you have incurred the expense

Best Practices for a Smooth Tax Season

  1. Find and download your occupation guide
  2. Apply the Three Golden Rules
  3. Track your expenses throughout the year – especially for Private Usage (like phone usage)

 

ATO’s occupation-specific guides are more than just PDFs – they’re your roadmap to claiming legitimate deductions and avoiding common mistakes. They clarify what’s deductible and highlight the dos and don’ts.

Check the Guides out here.

Article written by Georgia Dunn, one of our Senior Accountants

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