If you earn your income as an employee nurse, midwife or direct carer, this information will help you to work out your available tax deductions.
Agency commissions and agency fees
You can claim a deduction for commission payments you made to a nursing agency.
Annual practising certificate fees
You can claim a deduction for the cost of renewing your annual practising certificate.
Work uniform
Nurses often have specific clothing required for their job. This clothing includes protective equipment, uniforms with a logo and laundering expenses for those items, eg non-slip nursing shoes or support stockings, that your employer requires you to wear.
First aid courses
You can claim a deduction for the cost of first aid training courses if you, as a designated first aid person, are required to undertake first aid training to assist in emergency work situations.
Subscriptions
Subscriptions to nursing magazines, books and journals used to keep your knowledge current are claimable.
Car expenses
In many cases, nurses are required to transport patients, travel between hospitals or medical practices during their shift, travel from a hospital to a second job or vice versa. These trips will generally qualify as tax deductions for nurses. Keep a logbook to ensure your claim is correct and remember that travel between home and work is not claimable.
Self-education expenses
You can claim a deduction for self-education expenses if your course relates directly to your current job, eg wound care course.
Tools and equipment
If a tool or item of equipment cost you $300 or less, and you use it for work only, you can claim a deduction for the whole cost in the year you purchased it. Otherwise, you can claim a deduction for the cost over the life of the item (that is depreciation).
Other common deductible work-related expenses
-Technical or professional publications.
–Mobile phone (work-related portion)
-Conference and seminar fees
-Home office costs
-Donations to registered charities
-Stationery
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