One couple tried to claim guard dog expenses for their chihuahua. Picture: Toby ZernaSource:News Corp Australia

Boob jobs, G-strings, multiple wives: Ridiculous tax deductions Aussie workers have tried to claim

September 21, 2017

Australians make $22 billion worth of work-related tax deductions every year with an average claim of $2500, and ATO Commissioner Chris Jordan has warned that a “startlingly” large number of people are effectively gaming the system.

- A client who was doing a uni course in chemistry,” said Simon from Wagga Wagga. “They were doing an assignment and needed to test water samples so wanted to claim a boat for that.”

- He once came across a “multiple wives” arrangement. “I’ll never forget that time I was asked if three different men could claim the same women for the spouse rebate.

-“He was once asked by a young office worker, ‘Can I claim my make-up because my employer wants me to look good?’”

- “A client who worked in customer relations asked me to put her plastic surgery down as a tax deduction”. “It was a boob job,”

- A couple who worked from home try to claim guard dog expenses for their pet chihuahua.”

- Wendy from Geraldton said her client tried to claim their dog because they were a property manager and “took it with them to do rent inspections and said the dog was security”.

- One client had an unusual take on the uniform allowance.

In 2015, 8.6 million Australians claimed work-related expense deductions worth $22 billion, reducing the overall tax take by between $7 billion and $10 billion.

Speculation has been growing that the government will move to scrap work-related deductions altogether in favour of a flat $2000 deduction in a bid to cut costs and reduce the complexity of the system.