Top Tax Deductions International Students Often Miss
- Aditi Bohara
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
If you’re an international student in Australia, chances are you’ve worked a part-time job, paid tax, and maybe even felt unsure about whether it’s worth filing a tax return. The truth is, thousands of students miss out on money every year simply because they don’t know what they can claim.
The Australian Tax Office (ATO) allows international students to claim many of the same deductions as residents. If you’ve been working casually in hospitality, retail, or even as a freelancer, you could be entitled to more than you think.
Here are the top deductions international students often miss – and how you can claim them with confidence.
Work-Related Equipment and Tools
If you’ve had to buy items to do your job, those costs may be deductible.
Tools like knives for kitchen work or toolkits for trade-related jobs.
Protective gear such as gloves or aprons.
Work bags, diaries, or small equipment.
As long as the expense is directly linked to your work and you weren’t reimbursed, you may be able to claim it.
Phone & Internet Costs
Do you use your phone to check rosters, talk to your manager, or log into online shifts?
The ATO allows you to claim a portion of your phone and internet expenses.
Keep a 4-week log of how much of your usage is work-related.
Apply that percentage to your monthly bill across the year.
Even a small percentage adds up over time.
Work-Related Travel & Transport
This is an area where students often get confused.
✅ You can claim travel between two workplaces (e.g., from your café shift to your retail shift).
✅ You can claim travel between workplaces and study locations, but only if the study is connected to your current job.
❌ You cannot claim normal trips between home and your job or campus.
The key is that the travel must be directly linked to earning your income.
Working or Studying from Home
Many international students do online study or occasional work-from-home shifts. If that’s you, you may be able to claim part of your running costs.
The ATO allows a fixed rate of 67 cents per hour (from 1 July 2022) for time spent working from home. This covers things like electricity, internet, and stationery. Just keep a record of your hours to support your claim.
Self-Education Expenses – A Common Misunderstanding
This is where international students need to be careful.
The ATO only allows deductions for self-education expenses if the course is directly related to your current employment. For example:
If you’re studying a Certificate in Aged Care and working part-time as a support worker, some course costs may be deductible.
If you’re studying IT and working in a tech support role, you may be able to claim related software or textbooks.
However, if your study is only linked to your student visa or unrelated to your job (e.g., you study business but work at a café), those course costs are not deductible.
Common Mistakes International Students Make
Thinking their income is too low to bother filing a return.
Claiming general uni study costs that aren’t linked to work.
Forgetting to keep receipts or records.
Trying to claim everyday clothes or normal travel to work.
Even if you only worked for a few months, you may still be entitled to a refund.
How Precent Helps
At Precent, we’ve helped hundreds of students get their maximum refund without the stress of second-guessing the rules. We’ll guide you step by step, making sure you only claim what you’re entitled to and nothing gets missed.
👉 Start your tax return with Precent today
💬 Not ready to file yet? If you have any questions before starting, you can talk to one of our tax experts and get personal guidance for free.