How to Claim Tax Deductions Without Receipts

Many people don’t include tax deductions if they’ve lost receipts. But they are missing out on the chance to get some of their hard-earned money back! Yes, you can still claim Tax deductions without receipts in Australia. 

The tax office (ATO) may be strict about checking your expenses, but there are ways to claim these tax deductions legally and get a bigger tax refund. ATO usually lets you deduct certain expenses from your taxes if the expenses are related to your job. Just make sure they’re under $300. Always keep receipts for expenses over $300 to prove your claims to the ATO.
When it comes to claiming deductions, especially for work-related expenses, the key is understanding what you can claim and how much you can claim on tax without receipts for 2024. Understanding these rules can be complicated but we have made it easy for you. Make sure to read it all as when it comes to tax deductions, every dollar makes a difference.

Tax deductions are a great way to get money back and increase your overall tax refund. In Australia, ATO (Australian Taxation Office) lets people deduct certain expenses from their income when they do their taxes. It mostly involves work-related expenses that meet the under-given 3 criteria: 

ATO is serious about these criteria but claiming expenses without receipts is possible in 2024 with some limitations. Here’s how you can maximize your refund while staying compliant with ATO rules.

Don’t have receipts? Just claim up to $300 on your tax return with just a reasonable explanation or other form of evidence. This $300 limit is the total amount, not for each item or category.

This rule doesn’t apply to certain expenses, like:

But here are the different types of expenses you can deduct (All must be work-related):

The tax office won’t ask you for receipts for the above-given categories. However, they might still want you to tell them what the expense was for, how you paid for it, and how it’s related to your job.

Even if you don’t have to show them the receipt, you should still be able to explain the details of the expense.

Read this to understand the different types of expenses you can deduct and how much you can claim for each one:

Car/Travel Expenses

To know how much fuel can you claim on tax without receipts, you need to know the cents per kilometer method. For 2023–24, you get 85 cents per kilometer (78 cents per kilometer for 2022–23). This means you can claim up to 5,000 business kilometers per car each year. Just keep a journal to track your trips. (See the Logbook Method given below in the alternatives you can use instead of receipts)

But you cannot claim car expenses for:

Stationary and Electronics

For the under-given items, just write down the expense on your credit card statement and take a photo of the item:

Bucket Donations

You can get tax deductions for small donations of $2 or more to approved groups. It’s all good if you don’t as long as the total is under $10. This includes bucket donations for things like natural disaster help. If your donations exceed $10, you’ll need the receipts to claim them.

Clothing Expenses

For people who want to know how much can they claim for protective clothing without receipts. Make sure the clothing is work-related. You can get money back for buying and cleaning certain work clothes, such as uniforms or safety gear, even if you don’t have receipts, as long as it’s less than $150. This includes:

When You Can’t Deduct: You can’t deduct the cost of buying, borrowing, fixing, or cleaning regular clothes you wear for work, even if your employer requires them. Regular clothes are everyday items like black pants for waiters, suits for office workers, or jeans for tradespeople.

Laundry Costs

Limitations! Keep proof for all your laundry costs, not just the amount over $150. The reasoning is that when your total work costs go over $300, the ATO would want to see documentation for all your work-related expenses, including laundry. They don’t just want to see proof for the amount over $150 but for the full laundry costs. We’ve given an example for you to understand: 

Membership and Union Fees

Australians who pay membership fees or union dues can claim them on their taxes. These fees are often listed on your pay documents from your employer or tax agent. If you have a statement or summary showing these fees, you can claim them without needing a receipt. This paperwork is enough for the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

For Home-Based Employees (Working From Home)

Working from home is convenient and all but it comes with some extra costs. While you might save on travel and eating out, your utility bills will likely go up. You may also need to set up a home office, which can cost money.

For people who work from home, the ATO has a simple way to claim expenses. You can claim 67 cents for every hour you work from home. This covers all your home office costs, like internet, electricity, furniture, and equipment. As a general rule, you can claim tax deductions without receipts on these items as long as the cost is less than $300:

In Australia, you still get tax deductions for small expenses, even if you don’t have a receipt. This is useful for those little costs that add up over the year. Here’s how it works:

If you don’t get a receipt, you must write down the expense as soon as possible after you spend the money. Your record should include:

When you’re claiming tax deductions, it’s important to show proof of what you spent money on. In Australia, the Tax Office usually needs receipts for this, but there are other ways to prove your expenses if you don’t have receipts. Here’s how you can handle it without receipts: