Cleaners

If you're a cleaner, it pays to know what tax deductions you can claim at tax time. This information will help you to work out what:

income and allowances to report
you can and can't claim as a work-related deduction
records you need to keep.

Book an appointment at your nearest ITP tax agent.

Book Now

Deductions you can claim

Car Expenses

You can claim a deduction when you:

Driving between separate jobs on the same day (eg a second job)
Driving to and from an alternate workplace for the same
employer on the same day (eg travelling between houses that you clean)

In limited circumstances you can claim the cost of trips between home and work, where you were required to carry bulky tools or equipment for work and all of the following conditions were met:

The tools or equipment were essential for you to perform your employment duties and you didn’t carry them merely as a matter of choice.
The tools or equipment were bulky – meaning that because of their size and weight they were awkward to transport and could only be transported conveniently by the use of a motor vehicle.
There was no secure storage for the items at the workplace.

If you claim car expenses, you need to keep a logbook to determine the work-related percentage, or be able to demonstrate to the ATO a reasonable calculation if you use the cents per kilometre method to claim.

You can’t claim the cost of trips between home and work, even if you live a long way from your usual workplace or have to work outside normal business hours – eg night cleaning shifts.

Clothing Expenses

You can only claim a deduction for the cost of buying, hiring, mending or cleaning certain uniforms that are unique and distinctive to your job, or protective clothing that your employer requires you to wear. This may include an apron or overalls to protect your ordinary clothes from soiling or damage, or gloves or breathing masks to provide protection from chemicals.

You can’t claim a deduction for the cost of buying or cleaning plain clothing worn at work, even if your employer tells you to wear it, and even if you only wear it for work – eg jeans or shoes.

Tools and Equipment Expenses

You can claim a deduction for tools or equipment you are required to purchase for your job.

You can’t claim a deduction relating to any private use of the equipment (eg, if you have a vacuum cleaner that is used for private purposes for half of the time you can only deduct 50% of the cost) or if the tools and equipment are supplied by your employer or another person.

If a tool or item of work equipment used for work:

cost more than $300 – you claim a deduction for the cost over a number of years (depreciation)
cost $300 or less – you can claim an immediate deduction for the whole cost.

Meal Expenses

You can claim a deduction for the cost of overtime meals on
those occasions where:

you worked overtime and took an overtime meal break, and
your employer paid you an overtime meal allowance under an industrial law, award or agreement

You can’t claim a deduction for the cost of meals eaten during a normal working day as it is a private expense, even if you receive an allowance to cover the meal expense.