Potential Tax Deductions for Retail Sales Associates
If you work as a sales associate in a retail business, some of the tax deductions you may be able to claim on your personal tax return are:
Meals & Travel • the cost of buying meals when you work overtime, provided you’ve been paid an allowance by your employer • the cost of parking, tolls, taxis and public transport if you are required to travel to attend seminars, meetings and training courses • the cost of using your car for work, including travel to collect the mail, do the banking, pick up stock or other supplies for the business, attend meetings and training courses, and/or travel between 2 jobs or stores
Work Clothing • the cost of buying compulsory uniforms (should have business logo on them) • the cost of laundry or dry cleaning of your uniforms
Training • the cost of work-related short training courses • the cost of self-education courses
Work Tools & Equipment • the cost of buying/repairing equipment you use at work, including tools, electronic organizers, laptop computers and mobile phones • the cost of any material/supplies that you buy for use at work, including stationary, work bag, briefcase and diary
Other Expenses • annual association membership fees or union fees • work-related magazines, journals or books • work-related phone calls (keep a diary record of if the # of phone calls you make for 1 month and that can be used to estimate your usage for the year) • work-related internet connection fees • maintaining a home office if you are required to complete work at home
With everything, I recommend keeping receipts as a safety measure!