What Celebrity Stylists Can Claim on Tax in Australia
Celebrity Stylists design, source, and coordinate clothing, accessories and overall looks for high-profile clients across film, TV, red carpet events, advertising, media appearances and editorial shoots. Duties include trend research, wardrobe planning, sourcing garments, liaising with designers and PR agencies, managing fittings, creating lookbooks, altering or tailoring garments, maintaining inventory, preparing shoot-day styling kits, travelling with clients and responding to last-minute styling requirements. The role requires specialised tools, fashion resources, travel, subscriptions and ongoing industry research.
Typical Tax Deductions Include:
- Professional memberships – Fashion, styling, design or creative industry associations relevant to your current work
- Training, CPD & courses – Fashion styling, colour theory, trend forecasting and personal branding courses that maintain or improve your professional skills
- Laptop/desktop (>$300 depreciated) – Used for creating lookbooks, research, client coordination and design work (must be depreciated and private use apportioned)
- Styling equipment & kits – Steamers, lint rollers, garment bags, fashion tape, pins, sewing kits and essential tools used for on-set or client work
- Reference materials – Fashion magazines, trend reports and professional styling guides used to stay current in the industry
- Fashion databases & subscriptions – Runway reports, trend analytics platforms and designer lookbooks (work-use portion only)
- Home-office running expenses (approved method) – Lookbook creation, administration, planning and client communications conducted from home
- Work-related travel – Events, photo shoots, fittings, showroom visits, designer meetings and red-carpet engagements where expenses are not reimbursed
- Stationery & planning materials – Styling boards, notebooks, mood boards and planning documentation
- Professional insurance – Public liability or professional indemnity insurance for contractors or independent stylists
- Marketing & website costs – Portfolio hosting, social media advertising and professional photography for business promotion
- Tax agent & bookkeeping fees – Deductible
Non-Deductible Expenses Include:
- Clothing purchased and worn personally – Private expense; not deductible even if considered “industry appropriate”
- Clothing purchased for client use – Not deductible where garments become client property or the cost is reimbursed
- Hair, makeup & grooming – Private expense; not deductible
- Everyday clothing worn to work – Not deductible
- Home-office occupancy costs – Not deductible unless strict ATO eligibility requirements are met
- Meals and entertainment – Private expense except where directly connected to deductible work-related travel
- Personal shopping unrelated to client work – Not deductible
- 100% claims for laptop, phone or internet – Not permitted; work-related usage must be reasonably apportioned to exclude private use
Click here to see Tax Calculator for Celebrity stylist.
