Individual Tax & Advisory
Whether you’re lodging your very first tax return or juggling investments, rental properties and a growing family, we make individual tax simple. We take the time to get to know you, make sure you claim everything you’re entitled to, and keep you on the right side of the ATO – without the jargon.
How we help
Every year our team prepares thousands of individual tax returns for clients right across Melbourne’s west. We handle everything from salary and wages, bank interest, dividends and managed funds, through to capital gains, rental properties and work-related deductions. Because we ask the right questions, we regularly uncover deductions and offsets that clients didn’t know they could claim.
We’re not just here in July. If you’ve changed jobs, bought or sold a property, started investing or had a change in your family circumstances, a quick chat with us beforehand can save you tax and avoid surprises later. And with clear, up-front pricing, you’ll always know where you stand before we start.
Booking is easy, and we can meet however suits you best – in person at our Altona office, over the phone or online. To get the most out of your appointment, take a look at our individual tax checklist so you know exactly what to bring.
Claiming work-related expenses
Work-related expenses are one of the most common areas where people either miss out on deductions or claim incorrectly. The rules are straightforward: you must have spent the money yourself and not been reimbursed, the expense must directly relate to earning your income, and you must have a record to prove it. Here’s a quick guide to the main categories.
To make record-keeping easy, we offer free, ready-to-use templates for the most common expenses. You’ll find the relevant download under each category below.
Car expenses
If you use your own car for work – not the normal trip between home and work – you may be able to claim. You can use the cents per kilometre method (88 cents per kilometre for the 2025–26 year, up to a maximum of 5,000 work-related kilometres per car), or the logbook method, which claims your actual work-related running costs based on a 12-week logbook. We’ll help you work out which method gives you the bigger deduction.
Free template - Vehicle Log Book (logbook method)
Free template - Vehicle Log Book (cents per km method)
Clothing, laundry and dry-cleaning
You can claim for occupation-specific clothing, protective clothing, and compulsory or registered uniforms – along with the cost of laundering and dry-cleaning them. Everyday clothes bought for work, such as a plain suit or black trousers, can’t be claimed even if your employer requires you to wear them.
Self-education expenses
If your study relates directly to your current job, you may be able to claim course fees, textbooks, stationery and some travel. The study must maintain or improve the skills you use in your current role, or be likely to increase your income from it. Study aimed at getting a new job or starting a different career generally can’t be claimed.
Free template - Self-Education Expenses Diary
Depreciating assets (tools, equipment and technology)
Tools, equipment and technology you buy for work – laptops, phones, tools of trade and office furniture – can be claimed. Items costing $300 or less that are used for work can generally be claimed in full straight away; more expensive items are claimed over their effective life through depreciation. Keep your receipts and we’ll take care of the rest.
Working from home
If you work from home, you can claim the additional running costs you incur. The fixed rate method lets you claim 70 cents for every hour worked from home for the 2025–26 year, covering energy, phone, internet, stationery and computer consumables. Alternatively, the actual cost method claims the real work-related portion of each expense. Either way, you’ll need a record of the actual hours you worked – kept as you go, not estimated.
Free template - Working from Home Hours Diary
Travel expenses
Work travel – flights, accommodation, meals and incidentals for trips you take for work and aren’t reimbursed for – can be claimed. Overnight work travel usually requires a travel diary of your activities. As with car expenses, the normal commute between home and work isn’t claimable.
Free template - Travel Expenses Diary
Rental property & investments
Own a rental property or investments? We prepare your rental schedules, make sure you claim every deduction you’re entitled to, and calculate your capital gain or loss when you sell – keeping you compliant and tax-effective. These free templates make it easy to keep your records in order throughout the year:
Free template - Rental Income & Expenses Template
Free template - Capital Gains Tax Worksheet – Property
Not sure what you can claim? That’s exactly what we’re here for. Bring your records to your appointment – our free diaries and templates make them easy to keep – and we’ll make sure you claim everything you’re entitled to.
Tax residency
Moving to or from Australia raises some of the trickiest questions in tax – and the answers can have a big impact on how much you pay and on what income. Your residency status determines whether Australia taxes your worldwide income or only your Australian-sourced income, so getting it right matters.
We advise individuals – and their businesses – on their Australian tax residency, the consequences of arriving, leaving or working across borders, and how to manage issues like foreign income, capital gains when you depart, and the double-tax agreements Australia has with other countries.
Whether you’re relocating for work, returning home, or splitting your time between countries, we’ll help you understand your position before you move and plan ahead – so you can make the transition with clarity and confidence rather than a nasty tax bill down the track.
Client Checklist
Coming to see our team? So you can prepare, think about which of the following documents would help our team complete your work and bring them with you!
Personal details
● Your tax file number (new clients)
● Bank account details (BSB and account number) for any refund
● Your spouse’s and dependants’ details and income, if applicable
● Private health insurance annual tax statement
Income
● Income statements or PAYG payment summaries from all employers
● Government payments - Centrelink, pensions, allowances
● Bank interest earned during the year
● Dividend statements
● Managed fund annual tax statements
● Details of any shares, crypto or property sold - purchase and sale contracts, dates and amounts
● Foreign income
● Any other income - business, partnership or trust distributions
Deductions
● Work-related expenses - car, travel, uniforms and laundry, self-education, tools and equipment
● Union fees, professional memberships and subscriptions
● Hours worked from home and related running costs
● Donations to registered charities
● Income protection insurance premiums
● Last year’s tax agent / accounting fees
● Personal super contributions and your notice of intent to claim
Rental property (if applicable)
● Annual statement from your property manager
● Loan interest, council and water rates, insurance, repairs and maintenance
● Depreciation schedule, if you have one
● Dates the property was rented or available for rent
Not every item will apply to you - simply bring what’s relevant. If you’re unsure about anything, get in touch and we’ll help. Our free record-keeping templates make tracking work-related, car, travel and working-from-home expenses simple.
Book an appointment with our team!
Our team is always ready to assist you. Book a no-obligations meeting with us now using our booking portal!
Prefer to speak to us over the phone? Call us on 03 9398 4033