Workers can claim the costs of their phone and internet expenses that are work-related.
If the claim made is under $50 then the ATO allows the following estimates:
- Landline work calls: 25 cents per call
- Mobile work calls: 75 cents per call
- Work-related texts: 10 cents per text
If the claim is more than $50 then the ATO would expect that a 4-week representative period of expenditure can be used to determine an appropriate percentage of the total bill to claim. Acceptable records include diary entries, electronic records, and bills, along with some evidence from the employer that work from home or work-related calls are expected.
Although the tax office rarely investigate phone claims, its strongly recommended that you have evidence of work related use because if the percentage you claim seems unreasonable, the taxman won’t be happy when they come knocking.