Spending half your life smelling like chlorine is tough enough without stressing over your tax return. Between buying your own teaching aids and keeping your CPR current, the out-of-pocket costs add up fast. You really need to know exactly which tax deductions swimming instructors can claim before the financial year ends. Tracking those receipts is crucial. Honestly, getting your swimming instructor tax deductions sorted out early is one of the smartest sports coaching tax tips you’ll ever hear. Don’t let the tax office keep your hard-earned cash.
Tax Guide for Learn-to-Swim Teachers and Aquatic Coaches
Swimming instructors teach water safety, stroke development, and aquatic skills to children and adults across swim schools, leisure centres, private lessons, community pools and schools. Duties include lesson planning, supervising students, demonstrating techniques, maintaining safety standards, monitoring progression, preparing reports, communicating with parents, and sometimes assisting with pool setup. The role often involves wearing swim-specific uniforms, ongoing training, CPR/First Aid certification, and compliance with swim school or industry standards.
Typical Tax Deductions Include:
- Compulsory swim uniform – Branded swimwear, rash vests, or shirts required by the employer
- Laundry of compulsory uniform – Deductible
- Protective items – Sunscreen, hats, and rash vests if compulsory for outdoor settings
- Training & CPD – Swim teacher accreditation, CPR/First Aid, Austswim/Swim Australia courses
- Professional memberships – Austswim, Royal Life Saving, Swim Australia
- Phone & internet – Apportion for work-related use such as lesson scheduling, parent communication, and roster apps
- Home-office running expenses – For planning lessons or completing training (approved method)
- Work-related travel – Travel between pools, schools, or private client locations (not home ↔ regular workplace)
- Equipment – Kickboards, stopwatches, and teaching aids if not supplied by the employer
- Reference materials – Coaching manuals and water safety guidelines
Non-Deductible Expenses Include:
- Non-branded swimwear – Considered personal clothing (not deductible)
- Towels, goggles, and general swim gear – Private unless required and exclusively used for work
- Sunscreen (unless compulsory) – Usually private (not deductible)
- Travel (home ↔ regular pool) – Private commuting (not deductible)
- Meals, drinks, coffee – Private expenses (not deductible)
- Courses for unrelated roles – Not deductible
- Home-office occupancy expenses (rent, mortgage interest, rates) – Not deductible unless strict criteria are met
- 100% phone or internet claims – Must apportion for private use
Click here to see Tax Calculator for Swimming instructor.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I claim my swimwear and towels?
Only if it’s an official uniform. If your rashie or one-piece has the swim school’s logo printed on it, claim it. You can even claim the cost of washing it. But standard, non-branded bathers or your personal towels? The ATO views those as private expenses. Getting this rule right is a huge part of maximizing your swim teacher tax deductions.
2. What if I buy my own kickboards and dive toys?
If the pool doesn’t provide enough gear and you buy your own noodles, stopwatches, or dive rings to run your lessons, keep the receipts. Those absolutely count as valid swim coaching work expenses. As long as you weren’t reimbursed by your boss, you can write them off.
3. Can I claim my drive to the pool?
Your normal morning drive from home to your main swim center is just a private commute. But if you teach at a school pool in the morning and then drive across town to a private leisure center in the afternoon, log those kilometers. Claiming that mid-shift travel is a great way to boost your aquatic services tax refund.
4. Are my Austswim and CPR courses deductible?
Yes. You need First Aid, CPR, and specific coaching accreditations just to stay on the pool deck. If you pay for these mandatory renewals out of your own pocket, claim the full cost. It’s the same rule you would use on a fitness instructor tax return.
5. Can I claim anything for planning lessons at home?
Yep. If you sit at your desk at night writing up stroke development plans or filling out student progress reports, you can claim a slice of your home internet and power bills. Just calculate your actual work-related percentage. It’s an easy win to add to your aquatic instructor tax return.
