Work-Use Expense Calculator
When an expense is used for both work and personal reasons, the record normally shows the work-related portion rather than the whole amount. This works out that portion from a total and a percentage, and shows what is left over. It does nothing else, and it decides nothing for you.
The total you paid, including GST if it applied.
The share of the expense that relates to your work.
Work-related portion
A$72.00
- Total expense
- A$120.00
- Remainder (not work-related)
- A$48.00
Across a year
If this expense repeats, the yearly figures are shown below.
- If charged monthly
- A$864.00
- If charged weekly
- A$3,744.00
This is arithmetic, not advice. It does not decide whether an expense is deductible, which method applies to you, or what percentage is reasonable in your circumstances. That depends on current ATO rules and your own situation, and a registered tax agent is the person to ask.
Working out a percentage you can stand behind
- 1Base it on something countable: hours used for work, calls made, jobs done, floor area, or a representative four-week period.
- 2Write down what the basis was. A percentage with a reason behind it is a record; a percentage on its own is a guess.
- 3Keep it consistent across the year unless something actually changed, and note it when it did.
- 4Keep the receipt or the bill as well. The percentage describes the expense; it does not replace the evidence for it.
Frequently asked questions
What is a work-use percentage?
It is the share of a mixed expense that relates to your work. A phone bill used partly for work is normally recorded as a percentage of the bill rather than as a whole work expense.
Does this tell me what I can claim?
No. It multiplies an amount by a percentage. Whether the expense is deductible at all, and what percentage is reasonable, depends on your circumstances and current ATO rules.
Where do I get the percentage from?
From something you can explain and repeat: hours, calls, jobs, area, or a representative period you kept notes for. Keep the reasoning with the record.
Do I still need the receipt?
Yes. The percentage describes how the expense was used. The receipt or bill is the evidence that the expense happened at all.
Can HeyJerni store this for me?
Yes. Each expense in the app carries a purpose and a work-use percentage, and the receipt image stays attached to the same record.
Related pages
Record the percentage where the receipt is
HeyJerni keeps the amount, the work-use percentage and the receipt image on the same record, and exports the lot at 30 June.
HeyJerni is a record-keeping tool, not tax advice.