22 June 2020
The Australian Taxation Office has prepared a range of resources to assist people working in the health sector with their tax returns during the coronavirus pandemic.
As many individual’s working situations have changed due to COVID-19, it is now more important than ever that everyone understands how to best prepare and lodge their tax returns, to ensure they claim their applicable deductions.
For example, nurses, midwives and care workers can claim deductions when they drive between separate jobs on the same day or claim phone and internet usage if they are using personal devices for work.
Working from home media release
The ATO has introduced a simplified method for claiming deductions for anyone working from home as a result of COVID-19. Between 1 March and 30 June 2020, taxpayers will be able to claim 80 cents per work hour for all their additional running expenses, rather than needing to calculate costs for specific running expenses. This new method is designed to make tax returns simpler for anybody who has recently transitioned to working from home due to COVID-19, and ensures they are able to easily claim their relevant deductions.
This information has been summarised into a
Working from home media release. This was specifically designed due to the evolving nature of COVID-19 and the new temporary way of working that businesses have had to apply.
For further information about ATO measures and tailored support during COVID-19 view
ato.gov.au/COVID-19.
Nurse, midwife, carer Tax Time Poster,
Doctors, specialist, medical Tax Time Poster,
Cleaners Tax Time Poster and
Office Worker Tax Time Poster provide helpful information on which expenses can and cannot be claimed at tax time.
“We have published information on our website to help you get it right when lodging this year, including the ‘Tax Time Essentials’ page which is a one stop shop for the things that are a little different this year and how they impact your return,’’ said ATO Assistant Commissioner Karen Foat.
“If you’ve read through the information on our website and still have a question, search our online forum ‘ATO Community’. This forum is available 24 hours a day and we have a great community of expert members who respond to questions. In a lot of cases, there’s an ATO-endorsed response to help you. If not, post it yourself and we’ll have a response back to you as quick as we can.”