To claim deductions in your tax return for expenses incurred for business purposes, you need to have accurate records to substantiate your claims. Your records need to show how you worked out the business-use proportion of relevant expenses. Have a closer look the following details about the records you must maintain for claiming deductions for common business expenses:

Motor vehicle expenses

Information that must be included in your records to show about your motor vehicle expensesExamples of types of records
The records that you need to maintain rely on the way you calculate your claim. You’ll need to keep:

  • Travel distance you cover in km for business and personal use. 
  • Lease or loan details
  • Registration information 
  • Details of how you calculated your claim. 

If you are a sole trader or partnership using the logbook method, you are required to keep additional records. Your logbook must have:

  • When the logbook period starts and ends.
  • The odometer readings of a car at the start and end of the logbook period. 
  • The number of kms travelled for each journey. If you make two or more journeys in a row on the same day, you can record them as a single journey. 
  • The odometer readings at the start and end of each income year your logbook is valid for. 
  • The business-use proportion for the logbook period. 
  • The model, make, engine capacity and registration number of the car. 

For each journey, you need to record the:

  • Purpose of the journey
  • Start and end date of the journey
  • Odometer readings at the start and end of the journey
  • Number of kilometres travelled. 
  • Registration papers
  • Lease or loan documents
  • Fuel and oil receipts, tax invoices
  • Repairs and servicing receipts
  • Insurance documents
  • Logbooks
  • ATO app – electronic logbook. 

Business travel expenses

Have a closer look at the records that you need to keep for business travel expenses:

Information that must be included in your records to show your business travel expensesExamples of types of records
  • Information to substantiate your business travel expenses
  • The way you separate your private and business use portions.
  • Tax invoices
  • Boarding passes
  • Tickets
  • Travel diaries

Home-based business expenses

Information that must be included in your records to show your home-based business expensesExamples of types of records
  • Information to confirm your claims for all of your home-based business expenses. 
  • The way you separate your personal and business use portions.
Tax invoice or receipt for:

  • Repairs and purchase of furniture and equipment used for your business use. 
  • Cleaning expenses and utility bills. 
  • Rent, mortgage interest, insurance and council rates. 
  • Rental contract between business and homeowner. 

Other business expenses

Information that must be included in your records to show other business expensesExamples of types of records
Other business expenses you pay for in cash, using credit cards or debit cards, or online, which you will claim as a tax deduction, including:

  • Wages, salary, and super
  • Maintenance, repair and replacement expenses
  • Operating expenses
  • Depreciating assets and capital expenses. 

Through your records, you need to show how you calculated the business-use proportion of eligible expenses. 

  • Receipts
  • Tax invoices
  • Cheque book receipts
  • Credit card vouchers
  • Diaries to record cash expenses
  • Purchase records from suppliers
  • Worksheets for calculations
  • Records of choice of super fund

If you are familiar with the record-keeping of expenses that you can claim as a tax deduction, it’s better to seek help from Melbourne accounting services. Accountants or bookkeepers can  help you with proper record-keeping of expenses incurred for business use. This way, you can save money on tax return or by claiming expenses as tax deductions. 

Conclusion

The blog shares information on different types of business expenses that incurred for business purposes. Every business owner must have accurate records of business expenses so they can claim potential business tax deductions. For more information on claiming business expenses, you can get in touch with Reliable Melbourne Accountant.