Claiming telephone expenses

If you are required to contact clients or your employer on a regular basis, or if you are required to be on-call, home telephone rental expenses may be partly deductible.

Claims can be made in either of the following ways:

• A diary or log is kept for 28 days, establishing a pattern of usage for the whole year; or
• Actual expenses based on a completely itemised account.

It is suggested that the itemised account method is too onerous and the 28-day diary method is recommended.

There are instances where people claim 50% of their mobile and 20% of their landline on expenses, but mobiles can vary from 10% to 90% depending on occupation.

Always remember that the phone may not be an ideal business tool in some circumstances, as it can be disruptive.

To understand more about claiming telephone expenses, contact us today for a free initial consultation with your local TaxAssist Accountant.

Date published 11 Apr 2017

This article is intended to inform rather than advise and is based on legislation and practice at the time. Taxpayer’s circumstances do vary and if you feel that the information provided is beneficial it is important that you contact us before implementation. If you take, or do not take action as a result of reading this article, before receiving our written endorsement, we will accept no responsibility for any financial loss incurred.