Make your car claimable
If you use your own vehicle for work, it’s often your single biggest deduction. First make sure your car qualifies — then pick the method that gets you the most back.
Make your car claimable
The plain trip from home to your regular workplace is normally private and not claimable. But your car qualifies — and those trips, plus tolls and parking, become deductible — if you meet one of these two rules.
You carry heavy tools & equipment
For the hard-yakka trades — truckies, tradies, miners, equipment operators. Your car qualifies if you must carry bulky gear and can’t leave it at work because storage is unavailable, too small, or too insecure.
You drive as part of the job
For carers, sales reps, IT, office assistants/PAs, teachers and anyone travelling between work locations. Any regular work driving that’s a genuine responsibility of your role counts — and if it isn’t yet, volunteer to take it on.
Cents per kilometre, or the logbook
One method per car each year. Cents-per-km is simplest, but it’s capped — for anyone doing serious work kilometres the logbook wins by a mile.
Cents per kilometre
simpleA flat rate for every work kilometre — no receipts for running costs, just a reasonable record of how you worked out your trips.
Logbook method
bigger claimsClaim your work-use percentage of your actual running costs and depreciation. Routinely worth $25,000–$30,000+ for heavy users.
Getting your work-use percentage right
Log 12 continuous weeks
Record every trip — date, odometer start/finish and whether it was work or private — for one representative 12-week stretch.
Work out your %
Work kilometres ÷ total kilometres = your business-use percentage. A valid logbook lasts five years unless your driving pattern changes.
Apply it to your costs
Add up running costs plus depreciation, then multiply by your percentage. Depreciation is capped at the car limit ($69,674 → about $8,709/yr).
What the logbook method adds up to
Every running cost, top-up, wash and improvement counts — plus the car’s decline in value. Here’s a real example, multiplied by a 100% work-use logbook.
Detailed car expenses
example figures| Running costs — fuel, rego, insurance, repairs… | $18,040.00 |
| Top-ups & maintenance — oils, fluids, filters… | $200.00 |
| Wash & detailing — covers, products, gear… | $1,394.25 |
| Improvements — depreciated over 8 yrs | $100.00 |
Preview only — show every line item
| Item | $ each | × | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Running costs | |||
| Fuel | $150.00 | 52 | $7,800.00 |
| Registration | $300.00 | 4 | $1,200.00 |
| Insurance | $120.00 | 12 | $1,440.00 |
| Loan interest (from statements / calculator) | $4,500.00 | ||
| Tyres | $800.00 | ||
| Batteries | $150.00 | ||
| Wiper blades | $0.00 | ||
| Lights, fittings, bulbs, fuses & leads | $0.00 | ||
| Repairs — parts only (you did the work) | $800.00 | ||
| Repairs — parts & labour | $500.00 | ||
| Service cost | $250.00 | ||
| Service cost #2 | $600.00 | ||
| Towing | $0.00 | ||
| Excess on insurance | $0.00 | ||
| Top-ups & maintenance (DIY / between services) | |||
| Oil | $60.00 | 2 | $120.00 |
| Coolant | $45.00 | 1 | $45.00 |
| Window wiper fluid | $10.00 | 1 | $10.00 |
| Oil filters | $25.00 | 1 | $25.00 |
| Brake fluid · transmission fluid · power steering fluid | $0.00 | ||
| Fuel additives · fuel filters · air filters · other | $0.00 | ||
| Wash & detailing | |||
| Seat covers | $185.00 | 1 | $185.00 |
| Pop-up sun shades | $25.00 | 1 | $25.00 |
| Floor mats | $55.00 | 1 | $55.00 |
| Roadside assist | $218.00 | 1 | $218.00 |
| Automatic car wash | $20.00 | 12 | $240.00 |
| Shampoo | $50.00 | 1 | $50.00 |
| Interior cleaners | $15.00 | 4 | $60.00 |
| Tyre shine | $7.50 | 2 | $15.00 |
| Window cleaner | $5.00 | 4 | $20.00 |
| Rags, cloths & sponges | $20.00 | 2 | $40.00 |
| Pressure cleaner | $299.00 | 1 | $299.00 |
| Vacuum cleaner | $50.00 | 50% | $25.00 |
| Hose | $25.00 | 25% | $6.25 |
| Deodoriser (Glen 20, plug-ins, trees) | $6.00 | 26 | $156.00 |
| Dash / steering / full covers · tinting · wax & polish · dust buster · hose fittings · sprinkler · other | $0.00 | ||
| Improvements (depreciated over 8 years) | |||
| New tray ($800 ÷ 8 yrs) | $800.00 | ÷8 | $100.00 |
| Spots · bull bar · tow ball · paint job · rustproofing · wheels · electric brakes · other | $0.00 | ||
| Lease & depreciation | |||
| Lease payments (only if leased direct — not salary sacrifice) | $0.00 | ||
| Decline in value of car ($65,000 ÷ 8 yrs · capped at $8,709/yr) | $8,125.00 | ||
The 3 golden rules
- You spent the money yourself and weren’t reimbursed by your employer.
- The expense is directly related to earning your income.
- You have a record to prove it — logbook, receipts or bank statements.
- ×The car’s purchase price outright — claim it as depreciation over ~8 years instead.
- ×The principal on a car loan — though the interest and bank/admin fees are claimable.
- ×Fines and parking tickets.
- ×Ordinary home-to-work commuting — unless your car qualifies under one of the two rules above.
How to claim up to $25,000 for your car
A step-by-step look at the logbook method and how the biggest legitimate car claims are built — running costs, depreciation and work-use percentage.
See the full video library
Add up your car claim now
The car worksheet itemises every cost, runs both methods and shows you which is bigger.