Can I claim travel between two jobs on my tax return in Australia?
Yes, you can claim the cost of travelling directly between two separate jobs on the same day if you earn income from both. However, travel between your home and either workplace is generally not deductible.
Was this helpful?
3 readers found this helpful
3 readers found this helpful
How it works in practice
Claiming Travel Between Jobs
In Australia, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) allows you to claim a tax deduction for the cost of travelling directly between two separate places of employment on the same day. This rule applies when you derive income from both jobs and the travel is directly for work purposes. This is considered work-related travel, distinguishing it from ordinary home-to-work or work-to-home travel, which is generally not deductible.
Conditions for Deductibility
To be eligible for this deduction, the travel must be a direct journey between your first place of work and your second, or vice versa, and must occur on the same day. You can use either the cents per kilometre method (up to 5,000 kilometres) or the logbook method (for all kilometres if actual costs are claimed) to calculate your expenses. It is crucial to maintain accurate records, such as logbooks, receipts for fuel, and other vehicle-related costs, to substantiate your claim.
Important exceptions
Travel between your home and your first job, or between your second job and your home, is considered private travel and is not deductible. If you interrupt your travel between jobs by stopping at home for personal reasons, the entire journey may become non-deductible.
The deduction is only for costs you personally incurred and for which you were not reimbursed by an employer. The travel must be a direct consequence of earning your assessable income from both jobs.
What you should do now
-
Maintain accurate records of your travel, including dates, distances, and reasons for travel between workplaces.
-
Keep receipts for all car expenses (fuel, maintenance) if you plan to use the logbook method.
-
Ensure the travel is a direct trip between your two workplaces on the same day.
-
Calculate your eligible deduction using either the cents per kilometre method or the logbook method, as appropriate.
-
Include your work-related travel expenses as a deduction in your annual Australian tax return.
Expert Notes
No expert notes have been added to this question yet.
People also asked
Explore highly relevant questions and get instant verified short answers.