WHAT CAN FITNESS PROFESSIONALS
CLAIM ON TAX THIS YEAR?
WITH COVID-19 UPDATES
The 2019/20 tax year will look very different for many of us, but we still need to lodge
those returns. Taking into consideration COVID-19-related changes, small business tax
specialist Mark Chapman gives us the lowdown for the fitness industry.
CEC
ARTICLE
1 OF 5
ARTICLES
W ith the end of the financial year
rapidly approaching, it won’t be
long before its time to lodge your
income tax return for 2019/20. To
get the best possible tax outcome, it’s
essential that you understand what you can
– and what you can’t – claim against your
taxes, so here’s a checklist of the deductions
all workers in the fitness industry should be
considering claiming this tax year.
Remember, this list isn’t exhaustive and
not all the deductions will apply to everyone.
Similarly, you may be entitled to some
deductions that aren’t listed here. Make sure
you get professional help from a tax agent
like H&R Block to ensure that you’re getting
your return right.
Travel and meals
You may currently be housebound, but
commuting and even air travel were still things
many of us did earlier in the tax year – even
though it may seem like it was years ago.
You can’t usually claim the cost of the
daily commute to and from work. The only
exception to that rule is if you have to carry
bulky equipment (such as inflatable exercise
balls, or other exercise equipment) to and
from work because there is no secure place
of storage for them at your workplace.
You can claim the cost of travelling
between two workplaces, such as
between two gyms or two personal training
appointments. This includes public transport
and taxi costs.
If you plan to use your own car for work
purposes, you can either claim a set rate of
68 cents per kilometre for all work journeys,
or you can claim the actual expenses
incurred. If you choose the latter, you’ll
need to keep receipts for all costs (including
road tolls and parking fees) and also keep a
logbook of all your journeys for a 12-week
period.
Just because you’re in the fitness or
sporting industry, doesn’t mean you can
claim for the cost of attending sporting
events. So, if you’re a tennis coach, you can’t
claim for the cost of tickets to the Australian
Open. If, however, you’re coaching one of
the players in the Open, you can claim the
costs of attending.
When it comes to claiming meals, you can
only do so if the expense is incurred due to
your being away for work. The same applies
to accommodation and incidental expenses.
Work-related clothing
You can claim a deduction for clothing that
you’re required to wear as a uniform to
work that has the logo of the gym, facility or
sporting club where you work on it.
Unfortunately, you can’t claim a deduction
for the cost of purchasing or cleaning a plain
uniform or conventional clothing you wear
to work, even if your employer tells you to
wear them. So, general exercise clothing like
tracksuits, shorts, tank tops, running shoes,
socks, t-shirts and so on, can’t be claimed.
There’s good news, though, if you deliver
outdoor training sessions, because you can
claim the cost of sun protection gear such as
sunglasses, hats and sunscreen. Slip, slop,
slap, claim.
NETWORK WINTER 2020 | 11