Soldier's Motor Vehicle Travel Expense Claim Denied

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal has denied a claimed deduction for motor vehicle travel expenses incurred by a soldier in the Australian Defence Forces in transporting his ‘deployment priority 1’ kit from home to barracks as the Tribunal found they did not have the essential character of a business expense, nor were they incurred in gaining or producing assessable income. Instead, the Tribunal considered the expenses were of a private or domestic nature in the circumstances.

TIP: Taxpayers can claim motor vehicle expenses on the basis they are carrying bulky equipment, but only if they can qualify that it is a necessary part of their job.

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