Pick your trade, tick the work-related expenses that apply, and see an indicative estimate of your deductions, and the tax those deductions could save you.
Takes ~2 minutes · Your selections stay in your browser until you choose to share them
By Your Trade
Tailored to your work
8 Categories
Vehicle to home office
Running Total
Deductions add up live
Indicative Savings
At your marginal rate
Most tradies leave money with the ATO simply because they don't know what they're allowed to claim. Deductions are scattered across vehicle running costs, tools, PPE, licensing, phone and software, insurance and home admin — and the rules differ depending on how much you use each thing for work. If you're flat out on the tools all week, sitting down to comb through every eligible expense at tax time rarely happens, so legitimate claims quietly slip through. The Tradie Tax Deductions Finder is a free, trade-specific checklist that walks you through the expenses that commonly apply to your work, so you can see the full picture before you talk to your accountant.
You pick your trade (electrician, plumber, carpenter, builder, HVAC tech, landscaper, painter, roofer, tiler or concreter) and the tool shows guidance tailored to that trade, then presents a checklist grouped into eight categories: vehicle and travel, tools and equipment, clothing and PPE, training and licensing, phone and technology, insurance, home office, and a catch-all "other". You tick only the expenses you genuinely incur for work. As you go, it keeps a running indicative total of your deductions and estimates the tax those deductions could save you at a couple of common marginal rates. Every figure is clearly labelled indicative — it's a prompt for a conversation, not your actual claim, because the real amount depends on your records, your work-use percentage and what you actually spent. Each item carries a plain-English note (for example, that vehicle claims use either the logbook or cents-per-kilometre method, and that the instant asset write-off threshold changes each year and should be checked against the current ATO figure). The results also include an ATO substantiation checklist covering receipts, vehicle logbooks and record-keeping so you know what evidence to keep.
Sole-trader and small-business tradies across the common building and maintenance trades who want to make sure they're capturing every work-related deduction before they see their accountant.
The short answers are here. For anything else, ask below or get in touch.
Yes, work-related vehicle use is deductible, but only the portion used for work — not private driving. There are two accepted methods: a logbook (which needs a representative sample period of records and lets you claim actual running costs like fuel, rego, insurance and maintenance) or a cents-per-kilometre rate set by the ATO each year. The tool lets you tick the vehicle costs that apply and flags which method they sit under; your accountant will help you choose the method that gives the better result for your situation and confirm the current rate.
These tools work together to give you a clearer picture of your business.
Use these results to make better decisions. If you'd like a second pair of eyes on them, an advisor can walk through what they mean for the business.
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