What Home Office Expenses Can I Claim?

If as part of your current contract through Oncore, you are required to work from home, you may be eligible to claim some of the associated additional running expenses through our Salary Packaging Service.

Oncore provides the opportunity for you to salary package your business-related expenses. This is not a direct reimbursement of the expense but an offset against your taxable income resulting in greater take-home pay for you. The expenses that you can claim include your mobile phone, internet connection, software purchases, study, self-education, etc. 

These are expenses that relate to your current contract that Oncore is managing.

Relevant Expenses include:

• home and mobile internet or data expenses
• mobile and home phone usage expenses
• electricity and gas (energy expenses) for heating, cooling and lighting
• stationery and computer consumables, such as printer ink and paper

WFH Fixed Rate Method – 67 cents per hour

• This expense category applies where you incur additional running expenses working from your home office.

• A fixed rate of 67 cents per hour for use of a home-based office can be claimed. This rate encompasses all of the above-mentioned expenses - home and mobile internet, home and mobile phone usage, energy expenses stationery and computer consumables. If you are using this method, you cannot make additional claims for these expense items.

• Expenses outside of this rate such as office equipment can be claimed (within the allowable limit of $330 including GST) via the Tools & Equipment category or Miscellaneous.

• Occupancy costs such as rent, interest on mortgage or council rates and house insurance premiums cannot be claimed. Where the home is used as a place of business these expenses may be deductible on your personal tax return

• The ATO requires that you keep records of the actual hours worked from your home throughout the year. They also require that you keep at least one record (e.g. service bill) for each of the additional running expenses included in the rate that you incur.

If, after reading this article, you are still unsure what types of expenses you may be able to claim under this category, please either send us an email at supportaus@oncoreservices.com, or phone us on 1300 654 484 and we will strive to answer any of your questions.