Tracking of fuel usage for tax purposes

[Sylox]

So I thought I would ask the question on here to see if any one has some recommendations.
I use my vehicle a lot for work and also visiting investment properties etc. Starting to get sick of piles of faded reciepts etc

Is any one using a non business fuel card or the like to track their fuel usage for the finacial year?

[FPV+fteT3]

If the car you are using is both for private transport and work use the receipts are not worth anything if the mileage is not recorded in a vehicle log book available from any newsagent.
You have to keep the log book for a minimum of 3 months and show all km both private and business and can only claim cents per km for business use.
Think about it you have a receipt for $80 for fuel but how much of that fuel was used for work and how much was used dropping hectic skids with your mates on saturday night? The tax office don't care about receipts that does not prove business use.
If you have 2 cars registered in your name and have a log book that shows one car full business use use a log book for 3 months show 0 private miles and claim every service tyre and fuel if not you can only claim km rate and a portion of maintenance costs the % is calculated from the log book.

[Stefan]

I use credit card statement, then just tally up on a spreadsheet my total cost. Plus log book for business use percentage.

Never pay cash for anything so credit car is a perfect record of my expenditures.

[malazn mafia]

so for a petrolhead business owner, the best way to burn up the tax man's dollars is more power, less economy and drive in manner that is least economical. . It would totally suck driving a Tesla, as what fuel receipts would you have to prove anything ?

[RANGEREST]

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

so for a petrolhead business owner, the best way to burn up the tax man's dollars is more power, less economy and drive in manner that is least economical. . It would totally suck driving a Tesla, as what fuel receipts would you have to prove anything ?

Drive it as hard as you like, all you're getting back is detailed below
Unless it's 100% business.

https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Inco...per-kilometre/

[creative]

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

so for a petrolhead business owner, the best way to burn up the tax man's dollars is more power, less economy and drive in manner that is least economical. . It would totally suck driving a Tesla, as what fuel receipts would you have to prove anything ?

It worked for me! Having a 500rwhp supercharged V8 as my daily and working in realestate meant I was on first name basis with the local servo!

[Ruination]

I must have been to idiotic accountants.
I don't own a business, but am a carpenter by trade working on wages and travel to different sites everyday lugging my own tools.
I was told that I can only claim travel between sites and not "To" site.

Can anyone shed a little more light on that for me because the boys at work are claiming every kilometer and getting big tax returns every year where as I am literally scraping the barrel when I get mine. They are collecting $1800+ each year and I get roughly $150 in tax returns.

[RANGEREST]

Originally Posted by Ruination

I must have been to idiotic accountants.
I don't own a business, but am a carpenter by trade working on wages and travel to different sites everyday lugging my own tools.
I was told that I can only claim travel between sites and not "To" site.

Can anyone shed a little more light on that for me because the boys at work are claiming every kilometer and getting big tax returns every year where as I am literally scraping the barrel when I get mine. They are collecting $1800+ each year and I get roughly $150 in tax returns.

Id be looking into it, if your place of work (your bosses house/shed, is 5 mins away and the building sites are 30 you should be able to claim that
Edit, seems you can.
What you can claim

You can claim the cost of travelling:directly between two separate workplaces – for example, when you have a second job from your normal workplace to an alternative workplace (for example, a client's premises) while still on duty, and back to your normal workplace or directly home if your home was a base of employment – that is, you started your work at home and travelled to a workplace to continue your work for the same employer if you had shifting places of employment – that is, you regularly worked at more than one site each day before returning home from your home to an alternative workplace for work purposes, and then to your normal workplace or directly home, if you needed to carry bulky tools or equipment that you used for work and couldn't leave at your workplace – for example, an extension ladder or a cello.
https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/i...en-workplaces/

[paulb351]

Originally Posted by Ruination

I must have been to idiotic accountants.
I don't own a business, but am a carpenter by trade working on wages and travel to different sites everyday lugging my own tools.
I was told that I can only claim travel between sites and not "To" site.

Can anyone shed a little more light on that for me because the boys at work are claiming every kilometer and getting big tax returns every year where as I am literally scraping the barrel when I get mine. They are collecting $1800+ each year and I get roughly $150 in tax returns.

That would be because the tax office considers travel to/from work is considered private travel and not claimable. Colleagues with larger claims may have used a different interpretation of where work is and therefore reduce the private use kilometres. Speak to an accountant to clarify what you can claim, looks like the cost will be money well spent many times over...

FYI, cents per kilometre basis for claims can only be used up to a maximum of 5,000 work km, over that value and you need to use a logbook and all that entails.

[asagaai]

Originally Posted by velvet

Drive it as hard as you like, all you're getting back is detailed below
Unless it's 100% business.

https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Inco...per-kilometre/

Actually this is incorrect.

If you claim up to 5,000 km, you use these cents per km when claiming your deduction, extrapolated against your business mileage up to 5,000 km. Using this method, no need to keep a logbook for 3 months.

If you are using your vehicle for more than 5,000 km per annum, and want to claim, you keep a logbook recording each trip for 3 months, and then extrapolate out a business percentage which you claim for all vehicle running costs and depreciation. So if you are using it for 100% business, you will be able to claim 100%.

However, if you claim 100% you are asking to be audited, unless your business falls within that band of business where the ATO has deemed it likely to be 100% business use. I kept a logbook for 3 months and made sure I did most of my years compulsory training, driving to Sydney for the courses, and my business percentage was 89% (could not resist some spirited driving sessions late at night...).

[RANGEREST]

Originally Posted by asagaai

Actually this is incorrect..

Which bit?
I'd suggest you take it up with the ATO it's their site, and their rules

[asagaai]

Originally Posted by velvet

Which bit?
I'd suggest you take it up with the ATO it's their site, and their rules

The bit that infers the rates applies to km claimed above 5,000 km, as the logbook percentage then applies.

If you are not keeping a logbook and claim below 5,000 your statement is accurate.

[RANGEREST]

Originally Posted by asagaai

The bit that infers the rates applies to km claimed above 5,000 km, as the logbook percentage then applies.

If you are not keeping a logbook and claim below 5,000 your statement is accurate.

My apologies, if you follow the link you'll have to read the list on the left to see https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Inco...ing-a-logbook/ this one

[Ruination]

Originally Posted by RANGEREST

Id be looking into it, if your place of work (your bosses house/shed, is 5 mins away and the building sites are 30 you should be able to claim that
Edit, seems you can.
What you can claim

You can claim the cost of travelling:directly between two separate workplaces – for example, when you have a second job from your normal workplace to an alternative workplace (for example, a client's premises) while still on duty, and back to your normal workplace or directly home if your home was a base of employment – that is, you started your work at home and travelled to a workplace to continue your work for the same employer if you had shifting places of employment – that is, you regularly worked at more than one site each day before returning home from your home to an alternative workplace for work purposes, and then to your normal workplace or directly home, if you needed to carry bulky tools or equipment that you used for work and couldn't leave at your workplace – for example, an extension ladder or a cello.
https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/i...en-workplaces/

That's the thing though, my normal workplace isn't anywhere in particular and is constantly changing, every 2 or 3 days I'm at a different site.

I bring my own nail guns, saws, a ladder and sometimes an air compressor, yet I am apparently exempt from collecting any travel expenses purely because I drive directly from home instead of hitching a lift with one of the guys who lives on the same street but has a company supplied car - which he claims out of pocket expenses related to the car.
But he too drives direct from home towing a trailer and the same accountant allowed him to claim such.....

[RANGEREST]

Originally Posted by Ruination

That's the thing though, my normal workplace isn't anywhere in particular and is constantly changing, every 2 or 3 days I'm at a different site.

I bring my own nail guns, saws, a ladder and sometimes an air compressor, yet I am apparently exempt from collecting any travel expenses purely because I drive directly from home instead of hitching a lift with one of the guys who lives on the same street but has a company supplied car - which he claims out of pocket expenses related to the car.
But he too drives direct from home towing a trailer and the same accountant allowed him to claim such.....

Follow the link above to the ato website, and print the pages off for your accountant,
also ask why your workmate can claim a car that's company supplied and you can't claim your own vehicle, that on its own doesn't make sense

[xtremerus]

You can claim anything and everything as a tax deduction for business.
UNTIL YOU HAVE AN ATO AUDIT.
Then you will have to pay back illegal claims plus penalties and fines.
And by the way, your Accountant is not liable for shonky claims, you are.