Advertising & marketing professionals – what you can and can’t claim
If you work in advertising or marketing, your deductions can add up quickly, but this is also an area the ATO watches closely.
Here’s a simple breakdown.
✅ Commonly deductible (when directly work-related)
✔️ Courses, webinars, training & conferences that improve your current skills
✔️ Books on marketing, consumer behaviour, digital strategy or analytics
✔️ Work equipment – laptop, monitor, camera, microphone (over $300 depreciated)
✔️ Software & platforms (e.g. Adobe, Canva Pro, analytics, ad platforms)
✔️ Social media scheduling and management tools
✔️ Paid ads used to test campaigns for an employer or client
✔️ Work-from-home running expenses (with records)
✔️ Travel for meetings, events or campaign work (not commuting)
✔️ Professional memberships related to your role
❌ Commonly NOT deductible
🚫 Clothing or “image-building” outfits
🚫 Meals, coffees and networking drinks
🚫 Personal brand advertising not tied to your employment income
🚫 Lifestyle or entertainment subscriptions
🚫 Travel from home to your regular workplace
🚫 Gym, wellbeing or relaxation expenses
🚫 Home office rent, mortgage or rates (high audit risk)
🚫 Claiming 100% of devices or software used partly for personal use
🚩 ATO audit red flags
⚠️ Claiming fashion as “branding”
⚠️ No evidence separating work vs personal software use
⚠️ Travel claimed without a clear business purpose
⚠️ Social media ads that mainly promote a personal profile
⚠️ Courses aimed at a future career, not your current role
📂 Records matter
To claim safely, keep:
- receipts and invoices
- course or conference details
- software subscriptions
- work-from-home logs
- phone/internet usage samples
- travel notes showing who, where and why
💡 Bottom line:
Marketing professionals can legitimately claim a lot — but only when the expense clearly supports current income-earning activities and is properly documented.
If you’re unsure, ask before you claim.
It’s far easier (and cheaper) to get it right upfront.