Get your (tax) affairs in order

It's not the end of the world, just the end of the financial year. And a few minutes spent wisely on your tax now can save a lot of boring hassle later. 

Firstly, your IEU membership is fully tax-deductible: don't forget to include it in your claims on your tax form!

Also tax deductible are contributions to charities such as APHEDA, the Australian union movement's global justice organisation, which strives for the achievement of dignity at work, social justice, economic equality, and the realisation of human rights in our region and around the world. The end of the financial year is the perfect time to make a donation to an important cause.

Once your warm inner glow is achieved, make sure you know what other items you can claim as a tax deduction. A great place to start is the ATO’s Tax Time Toolkit for Education Professionals, a (relatively) simple guide to the common deductions available to education workers.  

For the many of us who have spent a significant amount of this financial year working from home, there is a temporary ‘shortcut method’ for claiming a deduction for home office expenses in the time of Covid – essentially this works out to a deduction of 80 cents per hour worked from home. See here for details.

Accountant Coco Hou told news.com.au that educators often 'miss out on a really easy one' – the depreciation on technology like computers, laptops, printers, mobile phones and tablets that cost more than $300. These can all be claimed if they are used for work purposes.

'Most teachers prepare lessons and mark homework while at home, so I would urge them to claim home office expenses, such as utility bills and internet costs,' she said.

'Any stationery, pens, printer cartridges or art materials that they are not reimbursed by the school for are all tax deductible as well.'

She reminds you to claim for conferences, excursions, courses travel, textbook, meal, and accommodation costs linked to your career that come out of your own pocket.

For assistance or advice, particularly if your tax arrangements are complicated, consult an accountant - tax advice is tax deductible too!