Flight Attendant

If you're a flight attendant, 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.

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Deductions you can claim

Travel Expenses

You can claim a deduction for travel expenses if you are required to travel overnight to perform your work duties. ‘Overnight’ can be taken to mean a mandatory rest break after being on duty and before recommencing duty, that is of sufficient length for you to sleep (around 7 hours or more), and would usually involve you taking up accommodation for that purpose.

Travel expenses could include meals, accommodation, fares and incidental expenses that you incurred and your employer has not provided or reimbursed you.

You can’t claim expenses for travelling between your home and the place of departure.

Receiving an allowance from your employer does not automatically entitle you to a deduction. You need to be able to show you were away overnight, you spent the money and the travel was directly related to earning your income.

Clothing Expenses

You can claim

a deduction for the cost of buying, hiring, mending or cleaning certain uniforms that are unique and distinctive to your job.
a deduction for the cost of rehydrating moisturisers and rehydrating hair conditioners used to combat the abnormal drying of skin and hair when working in the pressurised environment of an aircraft.

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 – eg plain, black shoes. However, if your employer has a strictly-enforced uniform policy that stipulates the characteristics of shoes you must wear – eg, minimum and maximum requirements for heel height and circumference – you may claim a deduction for the purchase of these shoes.
hairdressing, cosmetics, hair and skin care products, even though you may be paid an allowance for grooming and be expected to be well groomed. All grooming products are private expenses.

Meal Expenses

You can claim a deduction for

meals when you travel away from home overnight for work
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.