To Uniform, or not to Uniform, that is the question

There is confusion with some taxpayers on what they can and can’t claim for Uniform in their tax return.

Here is a summary of what is and isn’t tax deductible, straight from the tax office.

Not everything you wear for work is tax deductible.  Some items are not tax deductible, even if you basically wear them only for work and never for private use.  For example, if you have a compulsory uniform shirt or dress with a logo or a registered uniform, and your boss says you have to wear black accessories/shoes/leggings/pants etc with it, you can claim for purchasing and laundering the shirts, but you can’t claim for the black plain items.  Tradespeople who wear normal King Gee outfits at work can’t necessarily claim for those items, eg drill shorts.  But if you work with sharp or hot tools, and you need to wear special thickness work pants or have a leather apron to protect your clothing, you can claim those. 

We don’t like to be the ATO’s bad guys and say, ‘sorry, you can’t claim this or can only claim that’; we’re trying to claim as much as we can for you legally, and keep you out of ATO audit trouble!  Have a look at the examples on the factsheet if you’re not sure if the items you’re thinking of claiming are really tax deductible.  And, as always, please keep your receipts for at least 5 years after we lodge your tax return.

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