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The right speech pathologist tax deductions, and the claims audiologists can make, can noticeably lift your refund, because the work carries ongoing professional costs and a lot of travel. Speech pathologists and audiologists across health, education, community and the NDIS all pay for membership, insurance, professional development, assessment tools and driving between clients. This guide sets out what you can claim, what the ATO will not allow, and the records that keep your claim safe.
Tax rules and rates change from year to year, so use the figures here as a guide and have a registered tax agent confirm the current rules and rates before you lodge.
What Can Speech Pathologists and Audiologists Claim on Tax?
A work expense is deductible when you paid for it yourself, you were not reimbursed, it relates directly to earning your income, and you have a record. For these professions the largest claims sit across professional membership and certification, indemnity insurance, professional development, travel between clients, assessment tools, and working from home.
Full List of Speech Pathologist and Audiologist Tax Deductions
Professional membership and certification. Ongoing membership of a body such as Speech Pathology Australia or Audiology Australia, and the certification renewals these professions rely on rather than AHPRA registration, are deductible. Your first membership or certification to enter the profession is not.
Professional indemnity insurance. Indemnity and professional liability cover for your clinical work is deductible.
Professional development. Courses, workshops, conferences and CPD that maintain or improve the skills in your current role are deductible, along with fees, materials and travel to attend.
Travel and car expenses. Often the biggest claim for community and NDIS work. You can claim car costs for travel between clients on the same day, school and home visits, and travel to a second workplace. Home to your regular office is not deductible. Use the cents per kilometre method up to the annual cap, or a logbook for actual costs.
Assessment tools and therapy resources. Assessment kits, therapy materials, clinical texts, apps and professional software you buy for the role are claimable. For audiologists this can include diagnostic and calibration resources. Items over 300 dollars are depreciated.
Working from home. Reports, session planning, telehealth and admin done at home count as work. Use the ATO fixed rate method per hour or the actual cost method, whichever gives the larger deduction.
Uniforms and protective items. A branded uniform and protective items for clinical and community work are deductible along with laundry. Conventional clothing is not.
Phone and internet. The work-use share of your phone and internet is deductible, which is often meaningful for telehealth and client contact.
Speech Pathologist and Audiologist Deductions at a Glance
| Expense | Can you claim it? | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Membership and certification renewal | Yes | SPA or Audiology Australia, ongoing not initial |
| Professional indemnity insurance | Yes | Cover for your clinical work |
| CPD, courses and conferences | Yes | Maintains or improves skills in your current role |
| Travel between clients | Yes | Same day travel between clients and sites, not home to office |
| Assessment tools and resources | Yes | Kits, materials and software, depreciated if over 300 dollars |
| Working from home | Yes | Reports, planning and telehealth, fixed rate or actual cost method |
| Branded uniform and laundry | Yes | Occupation-specific clothing you buy yourself |
| Phone and internet work use | Yes | Work-use portion only |
| Initial membership or certification | No | Cost of entering the profession is not deductible |
| Your own therapy or treatment | No | Private expense |
| Conventional clothing and grooming | No | Private expense |
| Home to regular office travel | No | Private commuting |
Table for general guidance only. A registered tax agent should confirm your eligibility and the current rates.
A Worked Example
Hannah, a community speech pathologist, pays across the year: her Speech Pathology Australia membership, professional indemnity insurance, a CPD workshop, and new assessment kits claimed as depreciation. She drives between clients and schools most days and writes reports from home in the evenings. Her travel and home office claims are her two largest, and her total deductions run to several thousand dollars, a solid share of which returns at her marginal tax rate.
Want to see your own number before you lodge? Try our free Tax Calculator.
What Speech Pathologists and Audiologists Cannot Claim
- Your first membership or certification to enter the profession
- Your own therapy or treatment
- Conventional clothing, shoes and grooming
- Travel between home and your regular office
- Costs your employer reimbursed you for
Records You Need to Keep
Travel and home office are the two claims to document carefully. Keep the following for every work year:
- A logbook or record of kilometres for travel between clients and sites
- Receipts and invoices for membership, insurance, CPD and resources
- A record of the hours you work from home across the year
- A depreciation record for assessment tools and equipment over 300 dollars
- Bank and card statements that support your receipts
The ATO myDeductions tool makes this easy to capture through the year, and your tax agent can bring it together at lodgement.
How to Maximise Your Speech Pathology and Audiology Deductions
Community and NDIS therapists most often understate car travel and home office, which are usually their two largest claims. Keep a logbook so you can compare the cents per kilometre and logbook methods. Record your work from home hours weekly. Log assessment tools for depreciation. A registered agent who understands allied health returns will make sure your travel and home office claims are calculated the way that gives you the most.
Get Ready for Tax Time With Accountants Direct
Accountants Direct are registered Australian tax agents who make tax time simple for speech pathologists and audiologists. You get fixed pricing, no surprise bills, and phone or online appointments including after hours. We are rated 4.9 from 1,653 Google reviews, and we know the deductions that allied health professionals miss.
Here is how to get started
- Gather your membership, insurance, CPD, travel logbook and resource records
- Estimate your position with our free Tax Calculator
- Book a call online or call 1300 829 746
Frequently Asked Questions
Speech pathologists can claim Speech Pathology Australia membership and certification, professional indemnity insurance, CPD, travel between clients, assessment tools and therapy resources, working from home, and a branded uniform, as long as they paid for it and kept a record.
Audiologists can claim Audiology Australia membership, indemnity insurance, CPD, travel between clients and sites, diagnostic and assessment resources, working from home and the work share of phone use, on the same principles. Items over 300 dollars are claimed as depreciation.
Yes, and it is often the largest claim for community and NDIS work. Driving between clients or sites on the same day, and school and home visits, are deductible. Travel between home and your regular office is not. Use the cents per kilometre method up to the annual cap, or keep a logbook.
Yes. Assessment kits, therapy materials, apps and professional software you buy for the role are deductible. Items that cost more than 300 dollars are claimed as depreciation over their effective life.
Yes. Ongoing membership of a body such as Speech Pathology Australia or Audiology Australia is deductible in the year you pay it. Your first membership or certification to enter the profession is not.
Yes. Time spent on reports, planning, telehealth and admin at home is work. Use the ATO fixed rate method per hour or the actual cost method, and keep a record of your hours across the year.
