Tax for Hairdressers Australia
This page is for employee hairdressers, salon workers, and independent chair-rent stylists who want a practical guide to tools, laundry, training, chair-rent arrangements, and the personal-grooming claims that are usually overstated.
Quick answer: hairdressers can often claim work tools, protective aprons, laundry for qualifying clothing, and current-role training, but ordinary black clothing, personal grooming, and private product use remain private. If you rent a chair or invoice clients directly, GST and sole trader rules can become more important than employee deductions.
Common hairdresser deduction areas
Often relevant
- Scissors, clippers, combs, dryers, and tool repairs used to earn income
- Protective aprons, gloves, and laundry for qualifying work clothing
- Current-role training, short courses, and some professional memberships
- Business-use phone costs, booking software, and online scheduling tools
- Chair-rent, merchant fees, and salon consumables if you operate under an ABN
Common traps
- Claiming personal haircuts, colouring, makeup, or other grooming
- Claiming ordinary black clothing or shoes as workwear
- Ignoring GST registration or BAS once turnover increases under chair-rent arrangements
- Claiming private product use or home use of salon items as business deductions
Chair-rent and record-keeping checkpoints
- Structure matters: the tax treatment differs between employees, contractors, and sole traders.
- GST timing: if you invoice directly, monitor turnover against the registration threshold.
- Tools and products: keep receipts and separate personal use from income-producing use.
- Training link: the course needs to maintain or improve current-role skills, not just help you enter a new field.
Start with these calculators
Tax return calculator
Estimate the refund impact of your eligible hairdressing deductions.
Sole trader tax calculator
Useful if you rent a chair, invoice clients, or work under an ABN.
GST calculator
Check GST-inclusive pricing and invoice amounts.
Contractor vs employee
Compare chair-rent or contractor income against PAYG employment.
Hairdresser tax FAQs
Can hairdressers claim scissors and tools?
Often yes where the items are work-related and you paid for them yourself.
Can hairdressers claim clothing or personal grooming?
Usually no for ordinary clothing, personal grooming, or personal salon treatments.
Can hairdressers who rent a chair claim business expenses?
Often yes, but they usually also need to review sole trader, GST, and record-keeping rules.
Tax Accuracy & Sources
This guide summarises common hairdresser deduction and compliance patterns only. The right answer depends on whether you are an employee or operate under an ABN, whether any cost was reimbursed, and how private use is separated from business use.
Uses 2025-26 ATO rates.