Registered Nurse Tax Deductions in Australia: Complete Guide (2024-25)

Tax time can feel overwhelming for busy registered nurses. Between long shifts, patient care, and family commitments, keeping on top of your tax return is often the last thing on your mind. Yet knowing what work-related expenses you can claim is one of the best ways to maximise your tax refund and make sure you don’t pay more income tax than you need to.

This comprehensive guide, updated for the 2024–25 financial year, breaks down the most common nurse tax deductions recognised by the ATO. Whether you’re a new graduate or have decades of healthcare experience, these tips will help you understand what you can claim, avoid common mistakes, and get organised for tax time.

Understanding Nurse Tax Deductions

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) sets clear rules for claiming deductions. No matter what kind of expense you’re looking at, the golden rules are the same:

You must have spent the money yourself and not received a reimbursement from your employer.
The expense must relate directly to earning your income in your current role.
You need a record (like a receipt, logbook or income statement) to prove it.

If an item is partly personal and partly for work, you can only claim the work-related portion. For example, if your mobile phone is used 30% for work calls, only that portion counts.

Tip: The ATO publishes an occupation guide for nurses and midwives, which is a great resource. Our guide aligns with these rules so you can lodge your tax return with confidence.

Uniforms, Work Clothing and Protective Clothing

Nurses often buy specific uniforms and protective gear. These are deductible, but only under certain conditions.

What you can claim:

Compulsory uniforms with logos or branding, enforced by your employer.
Scrubs and other clothing that clearly identify you as a nurse.
Protective clothing like gowns, gloves, non-slip nursing shoes, and safety glasses.
Laundry expenses: claim $1 per load for work-only washes, or $0.50 if mixed. If under $150 total, no receipts are required, but you should keep a simple note.
Dry-cleaning costs for uniforms.

What you can’t claim:

Conventional clothing like plain black pants or everyday shoes.
Anything your employer provides or reimburses.
General grooming costs such as hair ties, cosmetics or deodorant (considered private expenses).

Example: Sue, an aged care nurse, buys two embroidered polo shirts ($80) and washes them weekly. She claims both the purchase and about $100 in laundry costs. However, she cannot claim her plain pants or casual shoes, even if worn only at work.

Continuing Education, Seminars and Training Courses

Professional development is essential in healthcare, and the good news is that many of these expenses are deductible.

Claimable items include:

Registration fees for seminars, CPD workshops and training courses.
Mandatory certifications such as First Aid courses, CPR, manual handling or advanced life support.
Course fees for refresher programs or specialised skills.
Subscriptions to professional publications.
Related travel expenses like public transport or parking if the event is off-site.

Example: Virginia attends a $629 seminar on night-shift nursing. Because it directly relates to her role, she claims the full cost, plus parking fees.

Self-Education Expenses for Career Advancement

Nurses often study further to improve their skills. The ATO allows you to claim self-education expenses if they maintain or improve your skills in your current role.

What you can claim:

Self-education expenses such as tuition, textbooks, online modules, and stationery.
Costs for equipment like laptops or tablets, depreciated if over $300.
A share of home utilities when studying from your home office.

What you can’t claim:

Courses that prepare you for a new job or different career path.
Repayments of HECS/HELP loans.

Example: Carmel, a ward nurse, enrols in a paediatrics course to improve her current role. She claims tuition and study expenses. Ling, who works in aged care, studies midwifery to switch careers her costs aren’t deductible until they relate to her current job.

Car Expenses, Travel Expenses and the Kilometre Method

Travel can be confusing. The ATO rules are clear: travel between home and your normal workplace is private and not deductible, but travel for work purposes is.

Claimable car expenses include:

Trips between two jobs on the same day (e.g., hospital shift then nursing agency work).
Travel from one hospital or clinic to another.
Journeys from home to an alternative workplace such as a patient’s home.
Public transport, rideshares, parking and tolls for work-related travel.

Car claim methods:

Kilometre method: 88 cents per km, up to 5,000 km. No receipts needed, but keep a record like a logbook or diary.
Logbook method: Track actual expenses (fuel, servicing, insurance, depreciation) and claim the work-related percentage.

Example: Michael, a community nurse, drives 3,200 km visiting patients and claims $2,816 using the kilometre method. Sarah works at two hospitals in one day; she claims travel between them but not her commute home.

Work-Related Tools and Equipment

Nurses often buy their own tools to do the job. These are deductible if you paid for them yourself.

Examples include:

Stethoscopes, blood pressure monitors, thermometers.
Fob watches, trauma shears, nursing bags.
Medical texts and reference guides.

Items under $300 can be deducted immediately. Items over $300, like laptops, must be depreciated. Repairs and replacements are also deductible.

Example: Jian buys a tool kit for $250 and claims the full cost. Alex buys a $1,500 laptop used 50% for work and depreciates it, claiming half each year.

Home Office, Internet Expenses and Mobile Phones

With more nurses doing admin or training at home, home office costs are common.

What you can claim:

Home office running costs at 70c/hour (covers electricity, phone, internet, stationery).
Mobile phone and internet expenses for the work-related portion. Keep a 4-week usage diary or highlight work calls on a bill.

Example: Ben calculates 30% of his mobile use is work-related and claims $219. Priya records 100 hours of home study and claims $70 using the fixed-rate method.

Union Fees, Registration Fees and Professional Association Fees

Don’t forget the annual fees that keep you registered and supported.

Claimable items include:

Union fees (e.g., ANMF, HSU).
Professional association fees and journal subscriptions.
AHPRA registration fees (renewals only).
Annual practising certificate fees.
Professional indemnity insurance if you pay it yourself.

Example: Breanna claims $300 in union fees and $180 in AHPRA renewal fees, saving around $160 in tax at her marginal rate.

Common Non-Deductible Expenses to Avoid

Nurses sometimes assume certain costs are claimable, but they’re not.

Child care while you work is a private expense.
Meal expenses like coffee or lunch breaks aren’t deductible unless covered by an overtime meal allowance.
Vaccinations, flu shots and health checks are private.
Fines, penalties, and most gym memberships are non-claimable.
Normal commuting, even with gear, is not deductible unless transporting bulky equipment with no storage at work (rare for nurses).

Record Keeping and Claiming Deductions Properly

Good record keeping makes tax time easier and keeps you safe if the ATO asks questions.

Use folders, spreadsheets or the ATO app to store receipts.
Keep receipts for at least 5 years.
Log mixed-use items like cars and mobile phones to show the work-related portion.
Avoid double-claiming (e.g., don’t use both the kilometre method and fuel receipts).
Plan purchases like laptops or study expenses in the same tax year for quicker deductions.

Case study: Sarah, a hospital nurse, claimed uniforms, laundry, CPD, union fees, registration, car travel, phone and home office costs. Her total deductions reached $4,744, boosting her tax refund by over $1,500 compared to if she hadn’t kept records.

Nurse Tax Deduction Checklist (2024–25)

✔ Uniforms & Work Clothing: scrubs, compulsory uniforms, protective clothing, laundry, dry-cleaning
✔ Education & Training: CPD, seminars, training courses, course fees, journals, first aid courses
✔ Self-Education Expenses: tuition, study expenses, professional publications, equipment
✔ Travel & Car Expenses: kilometre method, logbook, tolls, public transport, parking
✔ Tools & Equipment: stethoscopes, fob watches, nursing shoes, laptops, depreciation
✔ Home Office: internet expenses, mobile phones, work-related portion of utilities
✔ Union & Memberships: union fees, professional association fees, registration fees
❌Not claimable: childcare, meal expenses, commuting, vaccinations, private expenses

Be Prepared and Get Professional Help

Doing your tax return as a nurse doesn’t have to be stressful. By knowing your deductions from uniforms and seminars to car expenses and union fees you can maximise your refund while staying compliant with the ATO. Keep receipts, records, and logbooks year-round instead of scrambling in June.

Always claim what you’re entitled to, but avoid over-claiming. If you’re unsure, a tax agent can help and their fee is deductible in your next tax return.

How Lodge Pro Helps Nurses

Lodge Pro makes tax time easier by:

Highlighting nurse-specific work-related deductions.
Auto-importing ATO and bank data.
Providing logbook and home office tracking tools.
Offering CPA review before lodgment.

In short, nurses work hard and deserve every dollar of tax relief. With good organisation and Lodge Pro doing the heavy lifting you’ll head into tax time 2024–25 confident, compliant and ready for the best refund possible.