Discover essential tax deductions for NDIS support workers, a crucial aspect to enhance your financial well-being while helping Australians with disabilities.
Working as NDIS disability support workers is more than just a job — it’s a vital role that helps improve the lives of Australians living with disabilities. But while you’re busy caring for others, who’s looking after your finances? When tax time rolls around, knowing exactly what you can claim as a deduction could mean the difference between a modest and generous refund.
Whether you’re employed, self-employed, or a sole trader under the NDIS scheme, understanding your entitlements can help you keep more of your hard-earned money. In this guide, we break down the essential tax write-offs NDIS workers often overlook — and how to make sure you’re claiming everything you’re legally entitled to.
Understanding Your Role as a Disability Support Worker
Before you start listing deductions, it’s crucial to understand how your role fits within the tax system. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) categorises NDIS workers under several employment types — and each can influence what you’re eligible to claim.
✅ Who is an NDIS Worker?
NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) workers include support workers, carers, allied health professionals, plan managers, and even those in admin roles. Whether you’re employed by a provider or operating as an independent contractor, you may be eligible for a range of support worker tax deductions — but the type and amount will depend on how you work.
🧾 Employee vs. Contractor: Know the Difference
If you’re an employee (on payroll with tax withheld), your deductible expenses may be more limited and tied directly to your employment conditions. But if you’re a sole trader or contractor, you can often claim a broader range of business-related expenses — as long as they’re directly tied to earning your income.
Understanding your classification is the first step in confidently claiming what’s yours.
The NDIS provider guidelines clearly define the scope of roles under the scheme, helping you understand where you fit — whether as a sole trader, contractor, or employee.
If you’re working as an independent support worker under the NDIS, you may have different tax obligations than employees
🛠️ Why Tax Deductions Matter
Every dollar you spend out-of-pocket for work-related purposes — from uniforms to fuel — can add up over a year. If those expenses aren’t claimed, you’re essentially leaving money on the table. By getting clear on your role and responsibilities, you’ll be in a stronger position to track your eligible costs and prepare for tax time more efficiently.
💬 Pro Tip:
Keep a work diary (even a simple app log) if you’re unsure which tasks or costs qualify as tax-deductible. This will be your best friend when it comes time to sort receipts or defend a claim during an ATO audit.
Common Tax Deductions for NDIS Support Workers You Can Claim
As an NDIS worker, your job likely involves a mix of physical work, admin, and travel — and each of these areas can come with tax-deductible expenses. Knowing what’s deductible (and what’s not) is key to maximising your return.
Here’s a breakdown of common deductions many NDIS workers can claim:
👕 1. Work-Related Clothing & Laundry
You can claim:
- Branded uniforms
- Protective clothing (like non-slip shoes or gloves)
- Laundry costs for these items (if you wash them yourself)
Note: You can’t claim for everyday clothing, even if you wear it to work.
📚 2. Training & Education
Claimable expenses include:
- Short courses or certifications related to your role (e.g., First Aid, Manual Handling)
- Seminars or online training related to disability care or support work
These costs must directly relate to your current job, not a new profession.
📞 3. Phone & Internet Usage
If you use your personal phone or internet for work (like contacting clients, using NDIS portals, or rostering apps), you can claim a portion of:
- Mobile phone bills
- Internet bills
Keep a usage diary for a month to justify your work-use percentage.
🧰 4. Supplies, Tools and Equipment
You might be able to claim:
- Assistive tools used in care, such as mobility aids, specialized equipment, or devices purchased specifically for work-related tasks.
- Work-related equipment like laptops, phones, or other tools necessary for providing NDIS support.
- Protective gear required for maintaining safety, such as gloves or face shields, especially when providing hands-on care.
🧾 5. Expenses for Support Workers Consumables
- Consumables for client care: Items like gloves, sanitizers, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) used to maintain hygiene and safety.
- Office supplies: Items such as pens, paper, printer ink, or diaries used for documenting and organizing client information.
- Cleaning supplies: Cleaning products (like disinfectants) used to sanitise work areas or equipment, especially in healthcare settings.
🚘 6. Travel Between Jobs (More on This in the Next Section)
If you visit multiple clients in a day, you may be eligible to claim those trips. We’ll dig into this in the next section — stay tuned!
💡 Tip:
Always keep receipts or digital records. The ATO loves documentation — and having it on hand can make or break your claim if audited.
Vehicle and Travel Expenses for Support Workers Explained
If you’re regularly on the road visiting clients, travel could be one of your biggest (and most overlooked) tax deductions. But when it comes to claiming vehicle and travel expenses, the ATO has very specific rules — and getting it right can seriously boost your tax return.
🚗 When Can You Claim Travel?
You can claim travel between:
- Multiple client homes or job sites during your shift
- Your workplace and training events
- Your office and supply stores (to purchase work-related items)
You cannot claim:
- Travel from home to your first job of the day, or from your last job back home (this is considered “private travel”)
✍️ Claiming Car Expenses for support workers: Two Main Methods
- Cents Per Kilometre Method
- Claim up to 5,000 km per year
- No need for receipts, but you must be able to show how you calculated the distance
- Rate for FY24–25: 85 cents per km
(Confirm with the ATO for the most up-to-date rate)
- Logbook Method
- Keep a logbook for 12 weeks showing work vs personal use
- Claim a percentage of total car expenses (fuel, rego, insurance, servicing, depreciation)
- Ideal if you use your car heavily for work
Support Workers Other Travel Expenses
🚌 What About Public Transport or Rideshares?
If you use buses, trains, taxis, or rideshares like Uber to travel between clients or to training, these are deductible — just make sure to keep your receipts or digital records.
🧾 Travel Diaries & Record Keeping
Keep a digital or written log of:
- Dates
- Start/end locations
- Reason for the trip
- Kilometres travelled (if driving)
A spreadsheet, mileage app, or even a good old notebook can do the trick — as long as it’s consistent and clear.
💡 Bonus Tip:
Use apps like ATO myDeductions or Stride to automatically track trips. It makes life 10x easier at tax time.
Home Office and Admin Costs
Even if you’re out and about most of the day, many NDIS workers spend time doing admin, planning, or logging case notes from home. If that sounds like you, there are legitimate home office deductions you should be taking advantage of.
🏠 What Qualifies as a Home Office?
If you perform work-related tasks at home — such as:
- Completing care plans
- Communicating with clients or coordinators
- Writing up reports or case notes
- Organising appointments or schedules
— then congratulations, your home workspace likely qualifies for deductions.
💸 What Can You Claim?
Here’s what’s commonly deductible:
- Electricity & Gas (Work Portion Only)
- Use the fixed rate method (e.g. 67 cents/hour from 1 July 2022 onwards)
- No need to calculate individual utility bills — just track your work hours
- Office Equipment & Furniture
- Items like desks, chairs, laptops, and monitors
- You can either depreciate large items over time or claim small purchases outright (if under the threshold)
- Internet & Phone
- Claim a portion of your home internet bill, based on work usage
- Similar to your mobile — only the work-related % is claimable
- Stationery & Admin Supplies
- Notebooks, pens, diaries, folders, printer ink, etc. used for client-related tasks
📅 Method Matters: Fixed Rate vs Actual Cost
- Fixed Rate Method: Easier, less paperwork — just track your hours.
- Actual Cost Method: More effort but might result in a bigger claim (if you have lots of expenses).
Tip: Use whichever method gives you the higher deduction, and keep good records either way.
🧠 Pro Tip:
You don’t need a separate home office room to make a claim — just a regular space where you consistently do work tasks.
Record Keeping and ATO Compliance Tips
Even if you’re eligible to claim a range of deductions, it means little without proper documentation. The ATO takes record keeping seriously — and as an NDIS worker, so should you.
Depending on your employment status and award, the Fair Work Ombudsman’s disability services guide can help clarify what obligations and reimbursements you may already be entitled to — which impacts what’s deductible
📁 What Records Do You Need?
To support your deductions, you should keep:
- Receipts or invoices for all work-related purchases
- Bank statements showing relevant transactions
- Logbooks or diaries for car travel and home office hours
- Phone/internet usage records to back up percentage claims
- Training certificates or course confirmations
Digital or physical copies are fine — just make sure they’re legible, complete, and stored securely.
🕒 How Long Should You Keep Records?
According to the Australian Taxation Office, you must keep tax-related documents for at least five years after you lodge your return. That includes receipts, logs, and correspondence.
📱 Use Tech to Your Advantage
Apps and tools can make record-keeping easy:
- Xero (if you’re a sole trader, company or need accounting tools)
- ATO myDeductions (free, official)
- Stride (great for mileage tracking)
Back up your records on cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) to avoid losing them.
⚠️ What If You’re Audited?
If you claim something without proof — even if it was legit — the ATO can deny it. In some cases, you might even face penalties. So treat your documentation like gold.
✅ ATO’s Golden Rule: “You must have spent the money, and it must relate directly to earning your income.”
If you follow that guideline and keep clean records, you’re in a great position to claim confidently.
Book Your Consultation Today
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✅ Accounting Firm in Narre Warren
☎️ 0431413530
🌐 https://pinnacleaccountingadvisory.com.au
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