Tax Planning for the New Year: Start 2027 with Better Expense Habits
In short: Start 2027 by reviewing which deductions you missed last year, setting up categories that match your tax return, scanning every receipt as soon as you get it, spending 10 minutes a week on your records and setting aside around 30% of every payment for tax. Australian freelancers, whose financial year runs from 1 July to 30 June, should also schedule a mid-year check-in in January.
Read MoreTax Deductions for Freelance Photographers in Australia
In short: Freelance photographers in Australia can claim camera equipment, software subscriptions, computers and storage, props and studio costs, insurance, marketing, and travel to shoot locations. A photography business with an aggregated turnover under $10 million that uses the simplified depreciation rules can claim the business-use share of each item costing less than $20,000 in full in the year it is first used.
Read More17 Tax Deductions Australian Freelancers Miss Every Year
In short: The ATO lets Australian freelancers deduct expenses directly related to earning their income, provided they have records to prove it. This list of 17 commonly missed deductions covers larger items such as home office running costs, travel between work locations, equipment depreciation and income protection insurance, plus small costs that add up, including software subscriptions, professional memberships and bank fees.
Read More5 Tax Deduction Tips Every Freelancer Should Know
In short: The five tips for Australian freelancers are to track every business expense, claim home office costs by the fixed rate or actual cost method, claim work car travel by the cents per kilometre or logbook method, claim professional development that relates to your current work, and keep digital records for five years from the date you lodge. The ATO accepts digital copies as valid records.
Read MoreEOFY Tax Checklist for Freelancers: Get Ready for June 30
In short: Before 30 June 2026, when the 2025-26 Australian financial year ends, freelancers should review last year's return, gather every income record, match receipts to bank statements and categorise each expense, check for missed deductions, make any voluntary super contributions and genuine business prepayments, and prepare a categorised expense report for their accountant. Self-lodgers then have until 31 October 2026 to lodge through myTax.
Read MoreInternational Freelancer Tax Guide: Managing Expenses Across AU, UK, and US
In short: Freelancers working across Australia, the UK and the US pay tax primarily where they are tax resident, not where their clients are. For expenses, keep records by each country's tax year (1 July to 30 June in Australia, 6 April to 5 April in the UK, 1 January to 31 December in the US) and convert foreign amounts at the exchange rate on the transaction date.
Read MoreSpring Clean Your Finances: How to Audit a Year of Expenses in 30 Minutes
In short: To audit a year of expenses in 30 minutes, review your income summary, look through each category for miscategorised and personal expenses, compare your bank statement with your records to find missing receipts, check your home office, phone and vehicle apportionment, then export and back up your records. Repeat it every quarter, and keep records for five years from the date you lodge, as the ATO requires.
Read MoreABN Expense Tracker: Separating Business and Personal Spending
In short: If you earn income under an ABN in Australia, keep business and personal spending apart from day one, using a separate bank account, a dedicated expense tracker or both, and scan receipts immediately. For mixed-use costs such as your phone, car and home office, claim only the business-use portion on a reasonable, consistent basis, and keep records for five years, as the ATO requires.
Read MoreHome Office Deduction Calculator: How to Claim in Australia
In short: If you regularly work from home in Australia, the ATO offers two ways to claim a home office deduction. The fixed rate method allows 70 cents per hour worked from home for 2024-25 and 2025-26, plus equipment depreciation, and needs a record of your actual hours. The actual cost method claims the work-related share of running costs and needs more records, but can give a larger deduction.
Read MoreFreelancer Expense Categories Explained: A Simple Breakdown
In short: The categories most Australian freelancers use regularly are office supplies and equipment, software and subscriptions, travel and transport, home office, professional development, marketing and advertising, insurance, communication (phone and internet) and professional services. When an expense fits more than one, pick the most specific category and use it consistently, and claim only the work-related portion of anything you also use personally.
Read MoreTax Deductions for Freelance Graphic Designers in Australia
In short: Freelance graphic designers in Australia can claim the work-related share of software subscriptions, hardware, home office running costs and training for their current work. The ATO's work-from-home fixed rate is 70 cents per hour for 2024-25 and 2025-26. With an aggregated turnover under $10 million and the simplified depreciation rules, the work-related share of each item costing less than $20,000 can be claimed in full.
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