Tax Guide - nteu.org.au/tax 2020-21 - National Tertiary Education Union

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Tax Guide
     2020–21

 nteu.org.au/tax
NTEU TAX GUIDE 2021

                                                                   Contents
                                                                   ATO Focus 2021............................................................... 1
                                                                   Tax rates for 2021............................................................ 1
NTEU National Office
                                                                      Income Tax Rates (Residents) 2020/21                                             1
PO Box 1323, South Melbourne VIC 3205
                                                                      Income Test Thresholds for 2020/21                                               1
Ph: (03) 9254 1910
                                                                      HELP repayment rates 2020/21                                                     1
Fax: (03) 9254 1915
                                                                      Low Income Tax Offset (LITO)                                                     2
national@nteu.org.au                                                  Low and Middle Income Tax Offset (LMITO)                                         2
www.nteu.org.au                                                       Medicare levy low income thresholds                                              2
                                                                      Small Business Tax Offset                                                        2

                                                                   COVID-19 Support Measures......................................2
                                                                      Rental Properties                                                                2
                                                                      Individuals                                                                      2

                                                                   Changes for 2022 & Beyond........................................3
                                                                      Proposed Personal Income Tax Rates                                               3

NSW & National                                                     The Tax System...............................................................3
Ph: (02) 8006 5020                                                    Who needs to lodge a return?                                                     3
Fax: (02) 4210 8682 (central fax system)                              Record Keeping                                                                   3
Victoria                                                              Self-Assessment                                                                  3
Ph: (03) 9014 9590                                                    Self-Lodgement                                                                   4
WA                                                                    Using a Tax Agent                                                                4
Ph: (08) 6102 0560                                                 Income...............................................................................4
                                                                      Salary & Wage Income                                                             4
info@teachertax.com.au                                                Government Income                                                                4
www.teachertax.com.au                                                 Investment Income                                                                5
                                                                      Other Income                                                                     5

                                                                   Deductions........................................................................5
                                                                      Car Expenses                                                                     5
                                                                      Clothing                                                                         5
                                                                      Donations & Gifts (incl School Bldg Funds)                                       5
                                                                      Excursions, School Trips & Camps                                                 6
                                                                      Home Office                                                                      6
                                                                      Insurance                                                                        6
                                                                      Rental Property Expenses                                                         6
                                                                      Self-Education Expenses                                                          6
                                                                      Tax Returns                                                                      7
NTEU Tax Guide 2021. 21st edition. Published by NTEU.                 Teaching aids                                                                    7
Written by Teacher Tax.                                               Travel Expenses                                                                  7
All rights reserved ©2021. ISBN 978-0-9946377-1-0.                    Union and Professional Association Fees                                          7
Online version at www.nteu.org.au/tax
Authorised by Matthew McGowan, General Secretary,
                                                                   Rebates and Offsets........................................................7
National Tertiary Education Union, 120 Clarendon St,                  Invalid Carer Tax Offset                                                         7
Southbank VIC 3006.                                                   Low Income Tax Offset                                                            7
Cover image: Unblast                                                  Private Health Insurance Rebate                                                  7
This guide has been prepared for information only.                    Senior Australians and Pensioners Tax Offset                                     7
Australian Tax Legislation is a complex body of law and
members should seek qualified tax advice for their personal           Zone Tax Offset                                                                  7
situation. While every effort has been made to ensure that
the information in this guide is accurate, Teacher Tax carries
                                                                   Where to find your NTEU Tax Statement...............7
no responsibility for its application. The advice given is to be
considered general. Information in italics has been directly       Do your tax NOW!...........................................................8
sourced from Australian Government websites.
                                                                   Questionnaire..................................................................8
NTEU TAX GUIDE 2021                                                                                                                             P. 1

ATO Focus 2021                                                       Tax rates for 2021
The ATO has more and more data matching capabilities each
year. Due to this many errors can be made by taxpayer’s              Income Tax Rates (Residents) 2020/21
lodging their tax return too early. The ATO is encouraging
                                                                     Taxable income             Tax Rate
lodgement after the end of July when most prefilling data is
included. Payment summary information can be accessed via            $0 – $18,200               Nil
MyGov or through your tax agent. Employers need to have              $18,201 – $45,000          19c for each $1 over $18,200
payment summaries tax ready by 14 July (for business with            $45,001 – $120,000         $5,092
20 employees or more) or by 31 July (for businesses with 19                                     plus 32.5c for each $1 over $45,000
employees or less).
                                                                     $120,001 – $180,000 $29,467
This year the ATO will be focusing on higher than expected                               plus 37c for each $1 over $120,000
work-related expenses.
                                                                     $180,001+                  $51,667
A taxpayer needs to make sure they spent the money
                                                                                                plus 45c for each $1 over $180,000
themselves and were not reimbursed, the expense was directly
related to earning their income and they have a receipt or           Income Test Thresholds for 2020/21
record to substantiate it. If the expense is for work and private
use, they can only claim a deduction for the work-related                             Base Tier       Tier 1          Tier 2         Tier 3
portion.
                                                                     Singles          $90,000         $90,001-        $105,001- $140,001
Many taxpayers have been working from home due to                                     or less         $105,000        $140,000 or more
COVID-19. Expenses you can’t claim include:
                                                                     Families         $180,000        $180,001- $210,001- $280,001
• The cost of coffee, tea, milk and other household items your                        or less         $210,000 $280,000 or more
  employer may have provided for you at work.
                                                                     Private Health Insurance Rebate premiums paid to 31/3/21
• Costs related to your children and their education, including
  setting them up for online learning, teaching them at home or      Under 65yrs       25.059%          16.706%          8.352%                0%
  buying equipment such as iPads and desks.                          65-69yrs          29.236%         20.883%          12.529%                0%
• Time spent not working, such as time spent home schooling          70yrs or over      33.413%         25.059%         16.706%                0%
  your children or your lunch break.                                 Private Health Insurance Rebate premiums paid after 1/4/21
Due to the difficulties of the 2021 financial year, the ATO          Under 65yrs       24.608%         16.405%           8.202%                0%
will expect clothing/laundry and travel claims to be down
significantly on previous years. So keep the following in mind       65-69yrs          28.710%         20.507%          12.303%                0%
when claiming.                                                       70yrs or over      32.812%        24.608%          16.405%                0%
                                                                     Medicare levy surcharge
Car Expenses
                                                                     Rates                 0.0%                1.0%          1.25%            1.5%
While you can claim up to 5,000km without a logbook you still
need to be able to substantiate your calculation. You cannot         HELP repayment rates 2020/21
claim for travel between work and home, or if you have salary
sacrificed car.                                                      Adjusted Taxable Income           Repayment rate
It is advisable to keep a diary containing evidence of trips taken   Below $46,620                                     Nil
(date, location, kilometres travelled, purpose)
                                                                     $46,620 – $53,826                                1.0%
Clothing                                                             $53,827 – $57,055                                2.0%
To be claimable clothing must be either:                             $57,056 – $60,479                                2.5%
• Occupation specific (such as for a nurse).                         $60,480 – $64,108                                3.0%
• Protective (such as steel cap boots or a high vis vest) .          $64,109 – $67,954                                3.5%
• A uniform (with logos or made specifically for the business).      $67,955 – $72,031                                4.0%
If you happen to wear everyday clothes to work such as black         $72,032 – $76,354                                4.5%
trousers and a white shirt you cannot claim the clothes or the
                                                                     $76,355 – $80,935                                5.0%
cost of cleaning them.
                                                                     $80,936 – $85,792                                5.5%
Laundry                                                              $85,793 – $90,939                                6.0%
Can only be claimed on deductible clothing as listed above. $1       $90,940 – $96,396                                6.5%
per load if it only contains clothing you wear at work from one
of the categories above.                                             $96,397 – $102,179                               7.0%
50c per load if you mix personal items of clothing with work         $102,180 – $108,309                              7.5%
clothing from one of the categories above.                           $108,310 – $114,707                              8.0%
                                                                     $114,708 – $121,698                              8.5%
                                                                     $121,699 – $128,999                              9.0%
                                                                     $129,000 – $136,739                              9.5%
                                                                     $136,740 and above                               10%
P. 2                                                                                                         NTEU TAX GUIDE 2021

Low Income Tax Offset (LITO)                                        COVID-19 Support Measures
Maximum LITO has increased from $445 to $700. This offset
will automatically be claimed in taxpayer’s returns.                Rental Properties
                       LITO                                         Landlords who have reduced rent or not charged rent due to
 0 – $37,500           $700                                         COVID-19 may still be able to claim full deductions for expenses
                                                                    without apportioning.
 $37,501 – $45 000 $700 minus 5c for each dollar over
                   $37,500
                                                                    Individuals
 $45,001 – $66,667 $325 minus 1.5c for every dollar over
                   $45,000                                          You can claim a deduction of 80 cents for each hour you work
                                                                    from home in 2020/21 as long as you are working from home to
Low and Middle Income Tax Offset                                    fulfil your employment duties and not just carrying out minimal
                                                                    tasks such as occasionally checking emails or taking calls. You
(LMITO)                                                             also must have incurred additional running expenses as a result
This offset will be available from 2019 to 2022. This offset will   of working from home.
automatically be claimed in taxpayer’s returns.                     You must keep a record of the number of hours you have
                                                                    worked from home. And when lodging your tax return you
                        LMITO
                                                                    must include ‘COVID-hourly rate’ as the description for your
 0 – $37,000            $255                                        calculation. When you are calculating the number of hours you
 $37,001 – $48 000      $255 plus 7.5c for every dollar over        worked from home, you need to exclude any time you took
                        $37,000                                     a break such as lunch or assisting your children with home
 $48,001 – $90,000 $1080                                            schooling.
                                                                    The shortcut method doesn’t require you to have a dedicated
 $90,001 and over       $1080 minus 3c for every dollar over
                                                                    work area, such as a private study. The shortcut method covers
                        $90,000
                                                                    all running expenses including:
Medicare levy low income thresholds                                 • Electricity/gas for lighting, cooling or heating and running
                                                                       electronic items used for work (eg your computer).
The income thresholds have increased to $23,226 for singles
and to $39,167 for families.                                        • The decline in value and repair of capital items, such as home
                                                                       office furniture, including capital items that cost less than
For taxpayers eligible for the seniors and pensioners tax offset,      $300.
the threshold has increased to $36,056.
                                                                    • Cleaning expenses.
The family threshold for seniors and pensioners has increased
to $51,094. The family income threshold will be increased to        • Your phone costs, including the decline in value of the
$3,597 for each dependent child or student.                            handset.
                                                                    • Your internet costs.
Small Business Tax Offset                                           • Computer consumables, such as printer ink and stationery.
The Small Business Tax Offset has increased from 8% in 2020 to      • The decline in value of a computer, laptop or similar device.
13% in 2021 capped at $1000.                                        You don’t have to incur all of these expenses to use the shortcut
                                                                    method, but you must have incurred additional running
                                                                    expenses in some of these categories when working from home.
                                                                    You also don’t have to use the shortcut method. You can choose
                                                                    to use one of the existing methods to calculate your deduction.
                                                                    You can use the method that will give you the best outcome, as
                                                                    long as you meet the criteria and record keeping requirements
                                                                    for each method.
                                                                    For more information visit https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/
                                                                    income-and-deductions/deductions-you-can-claim/home-office-
                                                                    expenses
NTEU TAX GUIDE 2021                                                                                                              P. 3

Changes for 2022 & Beyond                                         The Tax System
Proposed Personal Income Tax Rates                                Who needs to lodge a return?
From 1 July 2024, the 32.5% bracket will apply to taxable         If you have earned income over $18,200 in this financial year,
incomes of $45,000 to $200,000, effectively removing the 37%      you must lodge a return. If you earned less than this amount but
tax bracket entirely. Incomes over $200,000 will be in the 45%    had tax withheld from your salary you will also need to lodge
top bracket.                                                      a tax return. Even if you’re not required to lodge a return it is a
                                                                  good idea to notify the ATO that a return is not necessary.
 Rate                 Current Tax Rates    Proposed Tax
                                           Rates 2024 – 2025      Record Keeping
 0%                   0 – $18,200          0 – $18,200
                                                                  As the tax system is self-assessment, it is essential that
 19%                  $18,201 – $45,000    $18,201 – $45,000      taxpayers be able to substantiate their income and expenses. In
 32.5%                $45,001 –            $45,001 –              general, records should be kept for a period of five years from
                      $120,000             $200,000               the date you receive your notice of assessment.
 37%                  $120,001 –                                  Records should be kept in such categories as:
                      $180,000                                    • Payments you have received.
 45%                  $180,000 plus        $200,000 plus          • Expenses related to payments.
                                                                  • Acquisition or disposal of an asset – such as shares or a rental
Private Health Insurance dependent                                   property.
The following are proposed changes to the definition of a         • Tax deductible gifts or donations.
dependent for private health insurance:
                                                                  • Medical expenses.
• Increase the maximum age for children to be covered as a
  dependent person under a family, single parent or dependent     If you’re not sure whether or not to keep a record, the best
  person-only private health insurance policy from under 25       advice is to err on the side of caution. It is better to have too
  years old to under 32 years old                                 many records than not enough.
• Allow children with a disability, regardless of their age and   Self-Assessment
  marital status, to be covered as a dependent person under a
  family, single parent or dependent person-only private health   Australia has a self-assessment taxation system. This means
  insurance policy.                                               that your return is accepted initially by the ATO as truthful.
                                                                  However, the ATO will check the validity of your claims by data
                                                                  matching and auditing. They use this data to:
                                                                  • Provide pre-filling information to taxpayers and their agents
                                                                    to help them correctly complete their income tax return first
                                                                    time.
                                                                  • Identify discrepancies between information reported by
                                                                    taxpayers in their tax returns against details reported by third
                                                                    parties.
                                                                  • Identify particular non-compliant behaviour within selected
                                                                    target groups, or to conduct risk assessments.
                                                                  • Assist in administration of the relevant legislation with other
                                                                    government departments through data exchange.
                                                                  • Exchange with treaty partners.
                                                                  The responsibilities of taxpayers include:
                                                                  • Be truthful and cooperative in your dealings with us.
                                                                  • Take reasonable care in preparing your tax returns and in
                                                                    keeping your records.
                                                                  • Lodge your documents and pay any amounts payable by the
                                                                    due date.
                                                                  The responsibilities of the ATO:
                                                                  • Treat you fairly and reasonably.
                                                                  • Treat you as being honest in your tax affairs unless you act
                                                                    otherwise.
                                                                  • Offer you professional assistance to help you understand and
                                                                    meet your tax obligations.
                                                                  • Accept you can be represented by a person of your choice and
                                                                    get advice about your tax affairs.
                                                                  • Respect your privacy.
P. 4                                                                                                           NTEU TAX GUIDE 2021

• Keep your information confidential in accordance with the          Income
  law.
• Give you access to information we hold about you in                In general, income tax is calculated by subtracting allowable
  accordance with the law.                                           deductions from assessable income. Assessable income can be
• Give you advice and information you can rely on.                   obtained in a variety of ways:
• Explain to you the decisions we make about your tax affairs.
                                                                     Salary & Wage Income
• Respect your right to a review.
                                                                     Salary and wages are the main forms of payments made to an
• Respect your right to make a complaint.
                                                                     employee. Generally they are considered to be payments made
• Administering the tax system in a way that minimises your          to an individual as remuneration for services, and provided
  costs of complying.                                                under a contract of service (employment contract). Other
• Be accountable for what we do.                                     payments include:
                                                                     • Allowances can be for car, travel or transport, tools, clothing
Self-Lodgement                                                         or laundry, dirt, site, risk, meal or entertainment or for
Tax returns are submitted either by individuals or their tax agent     qualifications held e.g. a first aid certificate.
to the Australian Tax Office on an annual basis. If you are doing    • Any payment received under sickness or insurance policy for
the return yourself, it must be lodged by 31 October. The ATO          loss of income is usually considered assessable.
has the power to fine the taxpayer up to $180 for every 28 days      • Certain lump sum payments in respect of unused annual
the return is late to a maximum of $900. Interest on any tax           leave and long service leave are entitled to concessional tax
payable may also be charged. Our advice is to get it in on time        treatment when you terminate your employment. That is
and save the stress and hassle.                                        why the amounts are separately recorded on your payment
The return is assessed by the ATO and you are issued with a            summary and separately recorded on your tax return. We
Notice of Assessment.                                                  suggest that you obtain professional advice if you have any
The Notice of Assessment will summarise your taxable income            lump sum payments labelled A B C D or E on your payment
for the year. It may include a tax refund or an amount payable.        summary.
                                                                     • Eligible Termination Payment (ETP) is a lump sum payment
Using a Tax Agent                                                      paid by an employer or a superannuation fund. Some of these
If you lodge through a Tax Agent, you may be able to avail             payments receive concession tax treatment up to certain
yourself of the general extension of time granted to Tax Agents        limits called caps. Areas include resignation, age retirement,
(usually 31 March of the following year). To avoid penalty             redundancy, dismissal, death of an employee.
however, you must be registered as a client with a tax agent by
31 October.                                                          Government Income
Other advantages of using a Tax Agent include:                       Assessable government payments include:
• A quicker turnaround for refunds.                                  • Age pension
• A thorough and professional check to ensure all information        • Newstart allowance
   is correct.                                                       • Youth Allowance
• Advocacy in the case of audit / dispute.                           • Austudy payment
• Tax planning to reduce tax.                                        • Parenting payment (partnered)
                                                                     • Partner Allowance
                                                                     • Sickness Allowance
                                                                     • Special benefit
                                                                     • Widow Allowance
                                                                     • Farm household allowance
                                                                     • Interim income support payment
                                                                     • The following payments if you are 16 or older
                                                                     • Abstudy living allowance
                                                                     • Payments under the Veterans’ Children Education Scheme
                                                                     • Payments under the Military Rehabilitation And
                                                                       Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme 2004
                                                                       (MRCA education allowance)
                                                                     • Other taxable Australian Government education or training
                                                                       payments
                                                                     • Community Development Employment Project (CDEP)
                                                                       payments
                                                                     • Disaster recovery allowance
NTEU TAX GUIDE 2021                                                                                                                  P. 5

Investment Income                                                   Deductions
Rental income                                                       Deductions are allowable expenses or outgoings that have been
When you rent out your property. The rental income must go on       incurred in earning any assessable income. An expense must be
the tax return of the taxpayer whose name appears on the title      incurred, that is either paid, or definitely committed to be paid,
deed of the property. This is most often a 50% spilt between        such as holding the invoice. You must have written evidence to
two taxpayers.                                                      prove your claims if your total claims exceed $300. Deductions
                                                                    can include the following items.
Dividend income
Including dividends paid directly to you, dividends applied         Car Expenses
under a dividend reinvestment plan, dividends that were dealt       Using your car for work purposes can be claimed as a deduction.
with on your behalf and bonus shares that qualify as dividends.     It does not include travel between work and home. You can
                                                                    claim for travel between two separate workplaces, or between a
Interest income                                                     workplace and a place of business.
Can include interest the ATO credited tax account with. It also
includes money received from financial institution accounts and     Method 1 – Cents per kilometre
term deposits. NB If you operated an account for a child and        You can claim up to 5,000 business km per car. The rate of
the funds in that account belonged to you, or you spent or used     66c per km is applicable for all cars. You do not need written
the funds in the account as if they belonged to you, you must       evidence as such but you need to be able to show how you
include any interest from the account.                              calculated your claim.

Other Income                                                        Method 2 – Logbook
Business income may include earnings from your operation            You claim the business percentage of costs associated with
through a Sole Trader, Partnership, Trust or Company structure.     running your car. You need to record odometer readings and you
                                                                    need evidence of all costs except fuel.
The ATO makes a distinction between what is considered a
business and what is a hobby. There are certain tests that must
be satisfied in order to gain treatment as a business (e.g. the
                                                                    Clothing
’business’ must make a consistent profit).                          You can claim the cost of clothing if it falls into one of the
Capital Gains income could include any capital gain or capital      following categories:
loss on the disposal of certain assets. Reasons leading to a        • Protective (eg a hi-vis jacket or lab coat).
possible event can include:                                         • Occupation specific (eg a nurses uniform) and not a
• An asset you own is lost or destroyed (voluntary or                 conventional, everyday piece of clothing such as jeans
  involuntary).                                                       or general business attire (n.b. sports clothes, swimming
• You give an asset away.                                             costumes and running shoes are considered conventional
                                                                      clothing).
• You enter into an agreement not to work in a particular
  industry for a set period of time.                                • A uniform either non-compulsory and registered with
                                                                      AusIndustry or compulsory.
• Shares you own are cancelled, surrendered or redeemed.
                                                                    Laundry claims are not an automatic $150 deduction. You need
• A liquidator or administrator declares that shares or financial
                                                                    to be able to show how you came up with the total of your
  instruments you own are worthless.
                                                                    laundry expense claim. A reasonable basis for working out your
• You grant an option to someone to buy an asset that you own.      laundry claim is:
• You receive a non-assessable payment from a unit trust or         • $1 per load if it only contains clothing you wear at work from
  managed fund.                                                       one of the categories above
• You dispose of a depreciating asset that you used for private     • 50c per load if you mix personal items of clothing with work
  purposes.                                                           clothing from one of the categories above.
• You stop being an Australian resident.                            Also, you are allowed to claim for sun protection such as
This is a complex area of tax law and we recommend you              Sunscreen, Sunglasses and Sunhats if you are required to work
consult a tax professional.                                         outside.

                                                                    Donations & Gifts (incl School Bldg Funds)
                                                                    Donations must meet certain conditions. They must be made to
                                                                    a Deductible Gift Recipient – a list of such organisations can be
                                                                    found at www.abn.business.gov.au. Gifts can include:
                                                                    • $2 or more.
                                                                    • Property purchased during the 12 months before making the
                                                                      gift.
                                                                    • Listed shares valued at $5,000 or less.
                                                                    • Trading stock disposed of outside the ordinary course of
                                                                      business.
P. 6                                                                                                             NTEU TAX GUIDE 2021

• Cultural gifts Program.                                              purpose and reasons for undertaking such an inspection; e.g.
• Heritage gifts.                                                      expenses associated with prior visit of a venue to ensure that it
                                                                       meets safety requirements are allowable. However, if a teacher
Examples of payments that are not gifts include:
                                                                       visits a venue privately then decides that it would make a good
• Purchases of raffle or art union tickets.                            excursion venue, the private visit expenses are not claimable.
• Purchases of chocolates, pens etc.
• The cost of attending fundraising dinners, even if the cost          Home Office
  exceeds the value of the dinner .                                    When you carry out work activities from your dedicated home
• Membership fees.                                                     office, you can claim the heating, cooling, lighting and cleaning
• Payments to school building funds as an alternative to an            as well as the decline in value of and repairs to your home office
  increase in school fees.                                             furniture and fittings.
• Payments where the person has an understanding with the              The ATO has set a fixed rate of 52 cents per hour for these office
  recipient that the payments will be used to provide a benefit        expenses. You need to keep a diary of hours spent working from
  for the donor.                                                       home to substantiate your calculation.
Contributions to school building funds can also be deductions.         Insurance
The ATO states that a school building fund has the following
characteristics:                                                       Income Protection Insurance not paid through your Super Fund
                                                                       is claimable.
• The fund is a public fund.
• The public fund is established and maintained solely                 Rental Property Expenses
  for providing money for the acquisition, construction or
  maintenance of a building.                                           You can claim expenses relating to your rental property but only
                                                                       for the period your property was rented or available for rent –
• The building is used, or is to be used, as a school or college, by
                                                                       e.g. advertised for rent.
  a government or a public authority, or a non-profit society or
  association.                                                         Expenses could include:
n.b. A deduction is not allowable for purchasing gifts for other       • Advertising for tenants
teachers or students:                                                  • Bank charges
  ‘Teachers may outlay their own money to supply items to              • Body corporate fees
  students for their own individual needs (e.g. books and uniforms);   • Borrowing expenses
  purchase gifts for students (e.g. Christmas gifts); purchase food    • Council rates
  and drinks for special occasions (e.g. student birthdays) and
  replace money lost by students (e.g. money for bus fares and         • Decline in value of depreciating assets
  lunch). While employee teachers may feel a moral, personal or        • Gardening and lawn mowing
  social obligation to outlay these expenses, there is no connection   • Insurance
  between the expenditure incurred by the employee teacher and         • Land tax
  producing assessable income.’
                                                                       • Pest control
Excursions, School Trips & Camps                                       • Property agent fees or commissions
The trips MUST be related to the curriculum or extra-curricular        • Repairs and maintenance
activities. Factors determining relevance would include the            • Stationery
purpose of the trip, the activities undertaken, and the duties of      • Telephone
the teacher. For example, a teacher accompanies a class of school      • Water charges
students on a day excursion to visit Parliament House as part of
the social studies curriculum. The purpose of the trip as well as      • Travel costs to inspect the property.
the activities have a direct relevance to the curriculum therefore,    If only part of your property is rented out, these expenses must
all expenses would be deductible.                                      be apportioned.
Supervising students alone is not sufficient to make the expenses
deductible. For example, a teacher accompanies a group of
                                                                       Self-Education Expenses
students to visit their sister school. Half of the time is spent       Expenses incurred in completing training provided by a school,
at the sister school engaging in social, classroom and sporting        college, university or other place of education. You must have
activities. Half of the time is spent in tourist activities. The       undertaken the course for use in carrying on a profession,
trip is open to all students and is not part of the curriculum of      business or trade or in the course of employment.
any particular course at the school. Even though the trip may          It MUST relate to your work as an employee at the time
provide social and cultural benefits to the students, the expenses     you were studying. The first $250 of these expenses is not
incurred by the teacher are not deductible.                            claimable. Such expenses may include:
However, if the trip is not curriculum-related but forms an            • Textbooks
integral part of the extra-curricular activities and the teacher
                                                                       • Student union fees
accompanies students as a representative of the school (e.g.
school sporting events or school band competitions) the                • Stationery
expenses would be allowable.                                           • Course fees
The deductibility of expenses incurred to inspect a possible           • Travel expenses
excursion venue prior to taking the students depends on the            • Decline in value of equipment.
NTEU TAX GUIDE 2021                                                                                                                    P. 7

n.b. In general, the costs associated with personal motivation        Rebates and Offsets
seminars are not tax deductible. Whilst they vary from course
to course, the ATO’s view is that ‘the material covered is            Tax offsets (or rebates) directly reduce the tax payable. Usually,
too general to be classed as relating specifically to income-         tax rebates can only reduce your tax payable to zero, with the
producing activities.’                                                exception of franking and private health insurance.
Tax Returns                                                           Invalid Carer Tax Offset
The cost of managing your tax affairs is a tax deductible expense     If you maintained a dependent invalid relative you may be
in the year that it is incurred (e.g. this year, you can claim last   entitled to a tax offset depending on your adjusted taxable
year’s costs). These expenses must relate to a qualified tax          income.
advisor. They can include the preparation and lodgement,
advice, costs of travel to and from the advisor and obtaining         Low Income Tax Offset
reference works.
                                                                      You may be eligible for a tax offset if you are a low-income
Teaching aids                                                         earner. You don’t have to claim this offset. The ATO will work
                                                                      it out for you when you lodge your tax return. The offset can
Items purchased must have a direct and relevant use in carrying       only reduce the amount of tax you pay, it does not reduce your
out your duties. Examples include:                                    Medicare levy.
• Pens, pencils, markers/highlighters, stamps, stickers, paints,
   stationery, posters, maps, laminating.                             Private Health Insurance Rebate
• Storybooks, jigsaws, games, toys used by early childhood,           If you have private health insurance, you are entitled to a tax
   primary school or special education teachers.                      rebate. Most people claim this throughout the year in the form
• Items used in cooking or sewing classes or science                  of a premium reduction.
   experiments.
• Prizes purchased to reward achievement and encourage                Senior Australians and Pensioners Tax
   students.                                                          Offset
• Entrance fees for school excursions.                                The pensioner tax offset and the senior Australians tax offset
• Whistles and stopwatches used by physical education                 have been combined to form the seniors and pensioners tax
   employee teachers.                                                 offset (SAPTO).
• Calculators/calculator batteries.
                                                                      Zone Tax Offset
• Maintaining classroom or school pets.
                                                                      If you live and work in a remote area you may be entitled to the
Travel Expenses                                                       zone offset.
If you have to travel away for work, then certain expenses may
be deductible which may include:
• Air, bus, train, tram and taxi fares
• Bridge and road tolls
• Parking
• Car hire fees
• Meals
• Accommodation.
If a travel allowance is received and the amount of the claim          Where to find your NTEU Tax
for expenses incurred is no more than a reasonable amount,
substantiation is not required. If the deduction claimed is            Statement
more than the reasonable amount (rates outlined by the
ATO depending on travel location) the whole claim must be
                                                                       If you pay your fees via direct debit, credit card
substantiated, not just the excess over the reasonable amount.         or invoice
If the dominant purpose in incurring the cost is the attendance        Your Tax Statement can be accessed via your online Member
at the conference or seminar then the existence of any private         Tools page. Login in at www.nteu.org.au/members and select
activity would be merely incidental and the cost would be fully        ‘Print Tax Statements’ in the Payments box. Please note that
deductible. If the attendance at the conference or seminar is          statements will not be mailed out.
only incidental to a private activity (e.g. a holiday) then only
                                                                       If you pay your fees via payroll deduction
the costs directly attributable to the conference or seminar is
allowable deduction. The cost of accommodation, meals and              Membership fees will appear on the PAYG summary supplied
travel directly relating to the private activity is not allowable.     by your employer. Contact your Payroll Department for any
                                                                       inquiries.
Union and Professional Association
                                                                       TAFE members and ex-members
Fees                                                                   Tax statements will be sent to your home address in early
You can claim the cost of being a member of a Union or                 July.
Association. See p. 9 for where to find your NTEU Tax Statement.
P. 8                                                                                                        NTEU TAX GUIDE 2021

Do your tax NOW!
Let us help you lodge your tax return. Our tax service was designed BY teachers FOR teachers.
We will access your income details with the ATO and then we just need to add in your work-related expenses. We can correspond by
email or phone if you prefer. Your refund will be deposited into your bank account within *14 days (*ATO processes 94% in 14 days).
Our fee is only $110 (incl GST) for a standard return, which is deducted from your refund. NTEU members receive a 10% discount.
Email: info@teachertax.com.au            Phone: (02) 8006 5020           Fax: (02) 4210 8682

We just need the following details to act as your agent and get started:

 Full Name

 Date of birth

 Tax File Number

 Address

 Phone

 Email

Signed Client _______________________________________________________            Date ___________________

                                       Please complete the questionnaire below...

Questionnaire
 Do you have a spouse or de facto?
 (If yes, please supply name, date of birth & approximate taxable
 income)
 Do you have dependents? (If yes, how many?)
 Do you have Private Health Insurance?
 Do you have a HELP debt?

Income
 How many payment summaries are you expecting?
 If you receive an allowance on your payment summary what is it
 for? (e.g. travel)
 Do you receive any Government pensions or allowances?
 Do you have any savings which earns bank interest?
 Do you have any shares that receive dividends?
 Do you earn any business income?
 Do you own a rental property?

                                                                                                  Continue questionnaire overpage...
NTEU TAX GUIDE 2021                                                                 P. 9

Deductions
D1    Use of your own car for        Estimate of kilometres
      work travel (not to and        up to 5,000km
      from work)
D2    Travel not reimbursed by       Accommodation
      your school
                                     Flights
                                     Car Hire
                                     Public Transport
D3    Work clothing                  School Logo or             $
                                     Protective
D4    Self-education (must           Course Name
      be a link between the
                                     Institution
      course and your current
      employment)                    Course Fees                $
                                     Textbooks                  $
                                     Travel                     $
                                     Books and Journals         $
                                     Computing (< $300)         $
                                     Computing (> $300)         $   Purchase date
                                                                    Description
                                     Home Office (hours
                                     spent working from
                                     home each week)
                                     Internet (monthly cost)    $   % work use
                                     Memberships                $
                                     Phone (monthly Cost)       $   % work use
                                     Seminars                   $
                                     Stationery                 $
                                     Subscriptions              $
                                     Sun Protection (Hat,       $
                                     sunglasses, sunscreen)
                                     Teaching aids, resources   $
                                     Teacher registration       $
                                     Union Fees                 $
                                     Working with Children      $
                                     check
D9    Donations                                                 $
D10   Tax Affairs (Cost of getting                              $
      your tax done last year)
D15   Other                          Income Protection          $
                                     Insurance
nteu.org.au/tax
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