Working from home isn’t free. Rising power bills, new tech, and constant online connections all add up.
The good news? There’s a way to ease the pressure.
Why Your WFH Costs Matter
The home office is now permanent for many Australians. Even if you only work from home a few days a week, the costs are real. Electricity, internet, equipment, and even a decent chair all come out of your pocket.
Most people don’t realise they can package many of these expenses through their employer. That means using pre-tax dollars instead of after-tax dollars. The difference is more take-home pay in your pocket.
What You Can Claim
Here are some of the most common work-from-home expenses that can be packaged through your employer:
- Technology: Laptops, tablets, printers and monitors (capped at $300).
- Furniture: Ergonomic chairs, desks, filing cabinets.
- Supplies: Paper, ink, stationery, even cleaning items for your office space.
- Internet and utilities: A portion of your broadband, lighting, heating and cooling.
- Software and subscriptions: Work-related apps, cloud storage, antivirus and more.
- Accessories: Headphones, chargers, webcams, and similar essentials.
- Professional costs: Insurance, self-education, and work-related training.
What You Can’t Claim
Not everything qualifies. You can’t package:
- Items used mostly for personal purposes
- Anything already reimbursed by your employer
- Expenses you also want to claim in your personal tax return
Why Salary Packaging Works
It comes down to tax. Using your pre-tax salary reduces your taxable income. On top of that, GST savings are often passed back to you.
The benefit shows up straight away in your pay, not months later at tax time. It’s a simple way to smooth cash flow and take the edge off rising costs in 2025.
5 Simple Steps
- Check what your employer allows
- Keep receipts and invoices
- Submit claims through your portal: Remunerator Login
- Stay within limits, like $300 for monitors and printers
- Avoid double claiming at tax time
Real Life Example
Sam works from home several days a week and needs a new laptop for work. The retail price is $1,800. By salary packaging the laptop, Sam avoids paying GST ($180) and reduces his taxable income by the full purchase price.
On a salary of around $80,000, that means an extra $585 saved in tax. In total, Sam saves about $765. His $1,800 laptop effectively costs just over $1,030.
Keep It Simple
If you work from home, don’t leave money on the table. Everyday expenses can be packaged to reduce your taxable income and ease the pressure on your household budget.
Use our Salary Packaging Calculator to see how much you could save today.
The information supplied on this page is provided as an information guide only. It contains Remunerator (Aust) Pty Ltd ACN 074 423 966 interpretation of the current Tax Legislation which is subject to change at any time without notice and should not be relied on as a substitute for legal or other professional advice. Example uses income tax rates effective 1st July 2024.