A lot of us start thinking about work purchases as EOFY rolls around. Hope you kept your receipts! According to the Australian Taxation Office, some protective equipment and PPE used for work may be tax deductible.
Before the EOFY scramble kicks in, here is what you should know.
What the ATO says about PPE and tax deductions
According to the ATO, you may be able to claim protective equipment if:
- You bought and paid for it yourself
- Your employer did not reimburse you
- The item is directly related to your work duties
- The item is used to protect you from injury or illness while working
Where Ruff fits into the PPE conversation
If you are in mining, construction, rail, civil, transport, trades or heavy industry, your hard hat is PPE. And the gear sitting underneath it matters too.
At Ruff, we make reusable hard hat sweatbands designed for workers doing long, hot, dusty shifts under a hard hat every day. Built to help reduce sweat dripping into your eyes, friction from hard hat harnesses, scalp irritation, hair breakage, and general hard hat discomfort during long shifts.
Unlike cheap disposable sweatbands, Ruff sweatbands are reusable, washable and built for repeat use on real worksites.
Wear Wash Repeat
According to the ATO, protective equipment used for work may be tax deductible if it is directly related to your job and you paid for it yourself. So instead of dragging your crusty sweatband into another financial year, now is probably the time to sort it out.
Fresh gear. Better comfort on site. One less thing to think about after June 30.
Consider this your sign
Especially if your hard hat rubs your scalp raw, your sweatband smells horrific, you are burning through disposables every week, or you have just been putting off upgrading your setup.
Quick EOFY tips from Ruff
If you are planning to purchase PPE or work gear before EOFY: buy before June 30, keep your receipt or invoice (we send these via email straight after your purchase), make sure the gear is genuinely work-related, and keep records somewhere easy to find at tax time. Speak with your accountant if you are unsure.
Simple.
We are not accountants, and this is not financial advice. Every worker's situation is different, so always check with your accountant or the ATO about what applies to you personally.
But if you have been looking for a sign to finally replace the crusty sweatband living in your hard hat.
This is it.
