✅ Updated for 2025–26 tax year

If you're a landscaper in Australia, you're entitled to claim a wide range of tax deductions that directly reduce your tax bill. Most landscapers leave money on the table simply because they don't know what they can claim — or don't have the records to back it up. This guide fixes both problems.

📋 In This Article

  1. →Tools and equipment
  2. →Vehicle expenses
  3. →Licences and memberships
  4. →Clothing and PPE
  5. →Training and education
  6. →Phone and home office
  7. →Insurance premiums
  8. →Record keeping tips
  9. →FAQs

The ATO allows you to claim deductions for expenses that are directly related to earning your income. You must have actually spent the money, not been reimbursed by an employer, and have a record to prove it. Here's every claim available to landscapers in Australia.

Tools and Equipment

Any tool or piece of equipment you buy for your landscaper work is tax deductible. Under the Instant Asset Write-Off rules, many items can be written off in full in the year of purchase rather than depreciated over several years — check the current threshold with your accountant as it changes regularly.

What landscapers can claim:

  • Mowers, ride-ons and zero-turn equipment
  • Trimmers, blowers and chainsaws
  • Hand tools — spades, rakes, pruners, mattocks
  • Irrigation equipment and fittings
  • Trailers and towing equipment
  • Protective boots, gloves and high-vis gear
  • Replacement parts and consumables used in your work
  • Tool repairs and maintenance
💡 Record-keeping tip:

Photograph every receipt immediately. Apps like Dext or Rounded extract the details automatically and store them in an ATO-compliant format. The ATO can audit up to 5 years back — paper receipts fade and get lost.

Vehicle Expenses

Your vehicle is typically your largest single deduction as a landscaper. If you drive between job sites, carry tools and materials, or travel from home to a job site where you're based (not a fixed employer's premises), you can claim vehicle costs.

Logbook method — best for most landscapers

Keep a logbook for 12 consecutive weeks recording every work journey. This establishes your business-use percentage (often 70–90% for landscapers who use their vehicle mainly for work). Apply that percentage to your actual annual vehicle costs — fuel, registration, insurance, servicing, loan interest and depreciation.

Cents per kilometre method

Claim 88 cents per kilometre (2024–25 rate) for up to 5,000 km of work travel. Simple, but usually gives a smaller deduction for landscapers who drive extensively. Use this method if your business-use percentage is low or you drive a modest amount.

Deductible vehicle costs (logbook method): fuel, oil, registration, insurance, loan interest, tyres, servicing, repairs and depreciation on the vehicle's value.

Licences, Registrations and Memberships

The cost of maintaining your trade licences and professional memberships is fully deductible. What landscapers can claim:

  • Pesticide applicator licence renewal (where applicable), Chainsaw operator licence, Elevated work platform (EWP) licence renewal, Landscaping industry association memberships
  • White Card (Construction Induction Training) renewal
  • Any other mandatory or relevant industry licences

Note: The cost of obtaining your initial trade qualification is generally not deductible — it's considered a capital expense. Renewal and maintenance fees are deductible.

Clothing, PPE and Safety Gear

Standard everyday clothing isn't deductible even if you only wear it for work. However, safety equipment, protective gear and uniforms with your company logo are fully deductible.

What landscapers can claim:

  • Steel-cap safety boots
  • High-visibility vests and shirts
  • Protective gloves and eye protection
  • Hard hats and hearing protection
  • Branded work shirts with your business logo
  • Laundry costs for deductible work clothing — up to $150 without receipts, more with

Training and Education

Training that maintains or improves your skills as a landscaper is deductible. It must be related to your current work — courses that lead to a completely new career or trade are not deductible.

  • Safety refresher courses (first aid, working at heights)
  • Industry-specific upskilling courses
  • Business management training relevant to running your trade business
  • Industry conferences and seminars
  • Relevant books, trade magazines and subscriptions

Phone, Internet and Home Office

Claim the work-use percentage of your phone and internet bill. If 70% of your mobile calls are work-related, claim 70% of your plan cost. Keep a 4-week diary to establish the percentage if you're ever audited.

If you do administrative work from home — quoting, invoicing, scheduling — claim the home office running costs. The ATO's fixed rate is 67 cents per hour worked from home, covering electricity, phone and internet.

Insurance Premiums

All business insurance premiums are fully tax deductible:

  • Public liability insurance — deductible
  • Tools and equipment insurance — deductible
  • Income protection insurance — the portion covering lost income is deductible
  • Workers' compensation (if you have employees) — fully deductible

Not insured yet? Compare tradie insurance options and get covered in 10 minutes →

Record Keeping — Don't Lose Your Deductions

The ATO requires you to keep records for 5 years from when you lodged the return. For most deductions you need a receipt, invoice or bank statement showing the amount, date and supplier.

The fastest way to stay on top of it: use Dext to photograph receipts on the spot, which pushes them directly into your accounting software. At tax time, everything is already categorised and your accountant can lodge your return in half the time.

Good accounting software helps too — Xero and Rounded both keep your income and expenses organised and make BAS lodgement straightforward.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a landscaper claim their work vehicle?

Yes. A vehicle used to travel between job sites and carry tools and equipment is deductible. Use the logbook method for the maximum deduction — keep a logbook for 12 weeks recording all business journeys, then claim that business-use percentage of all your annual vehicle costs.

Do I need receipts for everything?

For claims under $10, no receipt is required. For claims between $10 and $75, bank or credit card statements may be accepted. For amounts over $75, you need a proper tax invoice or receipt. Keep digital copies — apps like Dext make this easy.

Is accounting software tax deductible for landscapers?

Yes — subscriptions to Xero, Rounded, MYOB, Dext and similar business software are fully tax deductible as a business expense. So is the cost of hiring an accountant to prepare your return.

What happens if I don't have receipts?

The ATO may disallow your deduction on audit. For small items under $300 with no receipt, you may be able to use a bank statement. For larger amounts, missing documentation is a genuine risk. This is why snapping receipts immediately with Dext is so important.

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## Vehicle & Equipment Deductions: Maximising Your Claim One of the largest deduction opportunities for landscapers comes from vehicles and equipment. The ATO allows you to claim work-related vehicle expenses using either the **cents-per-kilometre method** or the **actual expenses method**—but you need to choose wisely based on your situation. For 2025–26, the cents-per-kilometre rate is **88 cents per kilometre**. This method is straightforward: keep a logbook for 12 weeks, establish your work-to-total-kilometres ratio, then apply that percentage to all your driving for the year. If you drove 15,000km for work out of 20,000km total, you'd claim 75% of your vehicle expenses using the logbook method, then multiply by 88c/km. However, the actual expenses method often yields better results for landscapers with higher mileage. You'd claim the real costs: fuel, servicing, tyres, registration, insurance, and depreciation. Keep every receipt. Tools like Tradify or Xero make tracking these expenses effortless by categorising them automatically. Equipment claims are equally important. Any tools, machinery, or equipment costing under **$20,000 can be written off instantly** until 30 June 2026 under the temporary increased instant asset write-off threshold. This means a new ride-on mower, mulcher, or edge trimmer bought this financial year is 100% deductible immediately—no depreciation schedules required. Items over $20,000 go into your asset register and depreciate over their effective life (typically 4–10 years depending on the equipment). Don't overlook smaller items either. Hedge trimmers, shovels, rakes, pruning saws, safety equipment, and work boots all qualify. The ATO's rule is simple: if it's essential for your work and costs less than $300, claim it outright. Over $300, it depreciates. ## Vehicle & Equipment Comparison: Which Method Suits You? | **Factor** | **88c/km Method** | **Actual Expenses Method** | |---|---|---| | **Best for** | Lower mileage, mixed personal/work use | High mileage, mostly work-focused driving | | **Record-keeping** | 12-week logbook required | Every receipt for 12 months | | **Calculation effort** | Simple multiplication | More detailed tracking | | **2025–26 rate** | 88 cents/km | Actual fuel, servicing, depreciation | | **Depreciation hassle** | None—included in rate | Must calculate annually | | **Best result if** | Under 10,000 work km/year | Over 15,000 work km/year | | **Example claim** | 12,000 work km × $0.88 = $10,560 | Fuel ($3,200) + service ($1,200) + depreciation ($2,100) = $6,500 | Most landscapers find actual expenses superior because your vehicle use is genuinely work-focused. You're traveling between job sites, picking up materials, and transporting equipment constantly—this isn't occasional work driving. ## Home Office & Site Setup Costs Beyond the vehicle, your home workspace generates overlooked deductions. If you run your landscaping business from home—quoting clients, managing invoices, scheduling jobs—you can claim a proportion of your home office expenses. The simplified method lets you claim **$1.75 per hour** of work from home (up to $1,750 per week). Track your hours in a spreadsheet or diary. If you spend 10 hours weekly managing admin from your home office, that's $17.50 per week, or roughly $910 annually. Alternatively, the actual expenses method claims a percentage of your mortgage interest/rent, electricity, internet, phone, office furniture, and office equipment. If your home office is 10% of your home, and your annual electricity bill is $1,200, you'd claim 10% = $120. Combined with internet ($60), phone ($200), and office furniture depreciation ($150), you're looking at $530+ annually—potentially less than the simplified method, but more defensible if you can evidence the actual space. For landscaping specifically, don't forget site-based costs. If you operate from a yard or workshop, rent or lease payments, rates, storage facility costs, and security are all deductible. If it's on your residential property, the same apportionment logic applies.

TIP: Set up a dedicated business bank account and email address. The ATO views this as evidence of legitimate business operation, making your deductions less likely to be questioned during an audit. Tools like Xero integrate with most Australian banks, automatically categorising transactions and flagging potential deductions in real time.

## Superannuation & Insurance: Protecting Deductions Superannuation contributions are a tax deduction **and** a retirement strategy. You can contribute up to **$27,500 per year** to your own super (as an employee contribution) and claim a deduction. This directly reduces your taxable income and grows tax-free in your super account. For 2025–26, if you earn $80,000 and contribute $15,000 to super, you pay tax on only $65,000. Your superannuation guarantee obligations matter too. If you employ staff, you must contribute **11.5%** of their ordinary time earnings (capped at $30,000 per year from 1 July 2025). These contributions are deductible as a business expense. Professional indemnity and public liability insurance are non-negotiable in landscaping. A single accident claim could bankrupt an uninsured business. Premiums are fully deductible. Compare policies from providers like BizCover, which specialises in tradie cover and often costs less than high-street providers. Vehicle insurance, workers' compensation, and tools insurance are similarly deductible. Keep your policy documents and premium invoices with your tax records. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions

Can I claim my ute as a business vehicle if I also use it personally?

Yes, but only for the work-related portion. If you drive your ute 18,000km per year with 12,000km for work, you claim 67% of actual vehicle expenses (fuel, servicing, depreciation, insurance, registration). The key is accurate logbook records showing the split. The ATO accepts this if you maintain detailed records for a representative 12-week period.

What's the difference between depreciation and the instant asset write-off?

Depreciation spreads an asset's cost over its useful life. A $15,000 mower might depreciate at 20% annually, giving you a $3,000 deduction yearly over five years. The instant asset write-off (available until 30 June 2026 for assets under $20,000) lets you claim the full $15,000 in year one. This accelerates tax benefits and improves cash flow—ideal for new businesses or major equipment purchases.

Do I need receipts for every deduction?

Yes. The ATO requires documentary evidence: receipts, invoices, bank statements, or logbooks. You don't need originals (digital copies are fine), but you must have proof. For vehicle expenses under the actual method, fuel receipts, service invoices, and registration papers are essential. For the 88c/km method, your 12-week logbook is the primary evidence required. Poor record-keeping is the leading reason ATO audits succeed—invest in a system like Tradify to stay compliant.