Tax for Executive Assistants Australia
This page is for executive assistants and senior administrative assistants who want a practical guide to WFH, phone use, travel between offices, admin tools, and the claims that stay private.
Quick answer: executive assistants can often claim eligible WFH costs, business-use phone and internet, some admin tools, and current-role training, but standard officewear, private grooming, and ordinary commuting remain common traps.
Common executive assistant deduction areas
Often relevant
- Working from home expenses using an accepted ATO method
- Business-use phone and internet costs
- Software, stationery, diaries, and small office tools paid personally
- Travel between workplaces or office locations where genuinely work-related
- Current-role admin, systems, or productivity training
Common traps
- Claiming ordinary officewear, shoes, grooming, or cosmetics
- Claiming employer-provided subscriptions, equipment, or internet
- Using unsupported work-use percentages on mixed-use plans
- Claiming private errands or normal commuting as travel deductions
WFH and admin-cost checkpoints
- WFH evidence: keep the records required for the method you use.
- Travel pattern: only claim travel that is genuinely between workplaces or otherwise deductible.
- Private use: mixed-use devices and services need apportionment.
- Reimbursements: employer-paid costs generally cannot be claimed again.
Start with these calculators
Tax return calculator
Estimate the refund impact of eligible executive-assistant deductions.
Pay calculator
Check take-home pay across weekly, fortnightly, monthly, or annual salary.
Income tax calculator
Model annual tax before and after deductions.
Salary sacrifice calculator
Compare concessional super contributions against current take-home pay.
Executive assistant tax FAQs
Can executive assistants claim working from home expenses?
Often yes where the cost is yours, the work is done from home, and you keep the required records.
Can executive assistants claim phone and admin tools?
Often yes for the work-related share where you paid the cost yourself and were not reimbursed.
Can executive assistants claim standard businesswear?
Usually no for conventional office clothing.
Tax Accuracy & Sources
This page summarises common executive-assistant deduction patterns only. Because the ATO does not appear to publish a standalone executive-assistant occupation guide, outcomes depend on reimbursement, private-use apportionment, and whether the expense directly relates to your current duties.
Uses 2025-26 ATO rates.