How do I claim my work travel?

There is often a lot of confusion around claiming deductions in relation to work related travel and use of your personal motor vehicle. This is largely due to the different ways you can claim these expenses. It is important to note that work related travel and work related motor vehicles fall into two separate categories in your tax return.

Let’s look at work related motor vehicles.

There are two ways to claim deductions for the use of your own car.

1. The cents per kilometer method, which allows you to claim 72c/km of work related travel you did up to a limit of 5,000km. A log book is not required, however other forms of substantiation such as diary and calendar entries are needed to substantiate your claim. 
2. The log book method, which allows you to claim a portion of all motor vehicle expenses (including repairs, insurance, registration, depreciation, etc). To use this method, a log book must be kept for a period of 12 weeks to demonstrate your work related percentage. This log book must include both work related and personal trips, with start and end odometer readings, dates, and reason for travel. This method is beneficial if you do more than 5,000km of work related driving per year.

If you are reimbursed by your employer for the use of your own car, you cannot claim any deductions.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the office.