What you can claim when working from home

Tiffany Schelberg • June 7, 2021

Setting up a home office? Here’s how to create a comfortable workspace, while offsetting the extra costs of working remotely. If you’re among those who’s decided to say ‘so-long’ to the office, you’ve probably also realised that having the right home-office set up is essential for your productivity – and sanity.

As many of us learnt during lockdown, trying to fit in a full day’s work at the dining room table isn’t always the most productive option.

You might also have noticed what many freelancers have known for years: Working from home comes with extra costs, as does setting up your home office.

So, what do you need to do to get your workspace set up for productivity – and comfort – and how can you offset the extra costs that come with working from home?

Getting ergonomic

For most computer work, there’s a few key areas you need to customise to suit you:

  1. The height of your desk and chair . You’ll know you’ve gotten this right when your forearms are parallel to the ground, with your wrists either straight, at or below shoulder level. Your knees should be level with your hips and feet flat on the ground, or on a footrest.
  2. Your monitor set up. Your monitor needs to be straight in front of you, an arm’s length away. The top of the screen should be at or slightly below eye level. Use a monitor riser if needed to get your monitor to the right height. Also consider the brightness of your display – it should be just a little brighter than surrounding ambient light.
  3. Location of key objects . Place your keyboard and mouse on the same level surface and keep other items you use often within easy reach. If you use the phone a lot, put it on speaker or use a headset to avoid neck and shoulder strain.
  4. Light sources . You’ll need sufficient ambient light to illuminate your workspace, so that you’re not straining your eyes. Beware of indirect lighting from windows that can cause glare on your monitor screen.

Getting (and expensing) equipment

Setting up an ergonomic workspace can involve a bit of gear, even if there are some inexpensive home solutions. At the very least you’ll need a computer, decent office chair, full size monitor, keyboard, and mouse. You may also need to add in a footrest, monitor riser, laptop dock or stand, headset, lighting, and any other office equipment you use regularly, like a printer.

This can add up to quite a hefty price tag! But don’t worry, it’s unlikely you’ll need to foot the entire bill yourself.

If you’re a company employee, start by speaking to your employer. Many companies will offer to either source equipment for you, lend it to you or reimburse you for purchase/s you make.

Under Workplace Health and Safety Laws, employers still have a duty to ensure the health and safety of workers, even if they’re working from home. In fact, some companies will already have occupational health and safety policies that mandate an ergonomic set up using a certain type of office equipment.

Tax deductions: What can I claim?

While you can save money by working from home (less transport costs, homemade lunches, no need for fancy clothes) it does come with other costs (and paperwork) you may not have thought about.

Fortunately, you’re allowed to offset many of these costs against your earnings by claiming a deduction in your annual tax return. According to the ATO, expenses you can claim a deduction for include:

  • the cost of electricity for heating, cooling, and lighting the area you’re working in, and running items you’re using for work.
  • cleaning costs for a dedicated work area.
  • phone and internet expenses
  • computer consumables (for example, printer paper and ink) and stationery
  • home office equipment, including computers, printers, phones, furniture, and furnishings. You can claim either the
    • full cost of items up to $300
    • decline in value (depreciation) for items over $300.

To make a claim, you need to have spent the money and have a record to prove it. You can’t claim a deduction where you’ve been reimbursed by your employer for the expense.

Tax deductions: How do I claim?

Because it can be tricky to track and report on your expenses when working from home, the ATO has introduced a temporary ‘shortcut method’. This is now in place up until 30 June 2021 (and may be extended further).

The shortcut method allows you to claim a deduction of 80 cents for each hour you work from home. It covers all the deductible expenses listed above. You’ll need to keep a record of the hours you worked, in the form of a roster, diary, timesheet or similar.

With remote work now widely accepted, many people can’t wait to give hour-long commutes, open plan offices and office politics the flick for good. Just make sure you take the time to get your office set-up right and avoid those nasty repetitive strain injuries in years to come.

Source: FPA Money and Life

Do you know how your super is performing?

By Nikki Ashurst • November 2, 2026
Many Australians don't know how their super fund has performed or what it invests in. Are you one of them? Here's what to check and why it matters. Do you know how your super fund performed over the last two years? Many Australians don’t and are working towards their financial future without fully understanding one of their most important assets and without a clear plan for how their super may support them in retirement. That's not surprising, as many people view super as something that should run quietly in the background while they're busy with careers, families and everything else that life throws at them. But when you’re not sure what’s happening behind your balance, it’s harder to know whether you’re on track, whether your current approach reflects your goals or what opportunities might be available to help you make the most of what you’ve built so far. Your super isn't sitting in an account, it's invested Super is invested by a fund on your behalf across a mix of assets, with those investments working to grow your balance over time. Those include: Shares Ownership in Australian and international publicly listed companies. Their value can rise and fall, sometimes substantially over short periods but shares can provide capital growth over the long term. Property and infrastructure Real assets like office buildings, shopping centres, airports and energy networks. They can produce income and don't always behave in the same way as share markets, helping diversify investment holdings. Fixed interest and bonds Lending to governments and companies in return for interest. They can provide regular income and be steadier than shares, although returns and risk vary depending on the investment. Cash Generally, the most stable and lowest risk investment type. It can provide stability and faster access to money but typically offers lower longer term return potential. The investment option you choose determines the mix of assets held in your super based on your risk appetite. Most super funds offer options from conservative to high growth. If you’re young, a growth option with a higher exposure to growth assets like shares could offer higher returns over time – but it also comes with higher risk. As retirement nears, you might want to consider a more conservative approach with more defensive assets, like bonds for example to protect your savings. If you've never made a choice, you're probably in your fund's default option, which is designed to suit a broad membership. It’s worth knowing whether the mix you're in matches your circumstances and goals, including how far you are from retirement. Why performance alone is not a true comparison If you're thinking about how your super compares, returns are often where people start. The trouble is that a return figure means nothing without context: What it's being compared to Growth and conservative options invest differently and with different levels of risk. Compare like with like or the comparison may not be genuine. The comparison period A single year can be heavily influenced by short term market conditions. Super is measured in decades, so five, seven and ten year returns tell you far more about whether a fund is consistently doing its job, albeit not a predictor of future performance. Fees and tax Published returns should reflect investment fees, costs and tax but administration fees may be charged separately from your balance. Two funds quoting the same return can leave you in meaningfully different places once all fees are accounted for. Then there are the things that returns can't show you at all. For example, what insurance is attached to your account and what it's costing you, whether the fund offers guidance, tools and advice or simply sends a statement once a year. Another consideration maybe the level of support available when you need it. When comparing funds, it's worth looking at the full picture, including performance, fees, investment options, retirement support and member benefits. What today’s decisions mean tomorrow To understand how your super stacks up, start here: Find your investment option It's on your annual statement and in your online account. Look at what's in it Your fund publishes the asset allocation (shares, cash etc.) for each investment option. Check the long-term return for that option Focus on five and ten year returns, not just last year and compare them with equivalent options. Understand the total cost Add together administration fees, investment fees and insurance premiums as an annual dollar figure. Comparing super is about working out which option will perform best for you. Before you jump in, it’s worth understanding what's behind the numbers so you can make decisions based on more than a headline return. Knowing where you stand is the first step A super balance tells you where you are today. Understanding how your super is invested, how it compares and whether it's aligned with your goals helps show whether you're heading in the right direction. Source: MLC The information in this article does not take into account your objectives, needs and circumstances. We recommend that you obtain investment and taxation advice specific to your investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs before making any investment decision or acting on any of the information contained in this document. Subject to law, Capstone Financial Planning nor their directors, employees or authorised representatives gives any representation or warranty as to the reliability, accuracy or completeness of the information; or accepts any responsibility for any person acting, or refraining from acting, on the basis of the information contained in this document. Principal Wealth Management Pty Ltd trading as BMO Financial Solutions ABN 53 109 336 601 is a Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR 277821) of Capstone Financial Planning Pty Ltd ABN 24 093 733 969 Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) No. 223135.

The SMSF landscape is changing

By Jude Schofield • October 7, 2026
More Australians are choosing to take direct control of their retirement savings by establishing a self-managed super fund (SMSF) and according to the SMSF Association, Aussies now see their super as an important part of building and managing their overall wealth.