car expense ato

Trying to claim car expenses with the ATO? You’ve got two lanes: the cents‑per‑kilometre method (claim up to 5,000 business km per car at the yearly ATO rate) or the logbook method (keep a 12‑week logbook and claim the business percentage of actual costs).

Private trips and commuting are out; work trips, site visits and client runs are in.

With cents‑per‑km you don’t add fuel/servicing separately; with logbook you’ll need receipts for fuel, rego, insurance, interest and depreciation up to the car limit, plus odometer records.

If your employer reimburses you (or it’s salary‑packaged), no double‑dipping—and GST/BAS rules apply if you’re registered. Keep tidy records and sleep better than your accountant.