Tax Guide for Holistic End-of-Life Care Practitioners
End-of-life transition coaches provide emotional, practical and planning support to individuals and families preparing for end-oflife stages. Duties include facilitating conversations, helping clients understand values and goals, developing legacy projects, supporting decision-making, coordinating with healthcare or legal professionals, providing grief and emotional support, creating resources, conducting workshops, and maintaining professional boundaries. The role requires specialised training, coaching tools, travel, and ongoing professional development.
Typical Tax Deductions Include:
- Professional memberships – Coaching, counselling, mental health or palliative care associations relevant to your professional role
- Training, CPD & courses – End-of-life care training, grief support, counselling skills and communication workshops that maintain or improve current professional capabilities
- Laptop/desktop (>$300 depreciated) – Used for session planning, client notes and administration (must be depreciated and private use apportioned)
- Reference materials – Books, manuals, grief support guides and communication resources used for professional knowledge
- Software & subscriptions – Scheduling apps, telehealth platforms, CRM systems and cloud storage (work-related portion only)
- Home-office running expenses (approved method) – Session preparation, administration, client communication and research conducted from home
- Work-related travel – Client visits, workshops, facility meetings and home consultations where expenses are not reimbursed
- Stationery & client materials – Journals, workbooks, planning templates and printed resources used in sessions
- Marketing & website costs – Website hosting, domain registration, advertising and promotional materials
- Coaching tools – Cards, worksheets and guided reflection tools used during client sessions
- Professional insurance – Professional indemnity or public liability insurance for self-employed coaches or consultants
- Tax agent & bookkeeping fees – Deductible
Non-Deductible Expenses Include:
- Everyday clothing – Not deductible unless it is required PPE in specific care environments
- Travel: home ↔ regular workplace or office – Private travel; not deductible
- Gifts for clients – Not deductible unless they are promotional items carrying your business branding
- Meals, coffee or hospitality – Private expense unless directly linked to deductible work-related travel
- Home-office occupancy costs (rent, mortgage interest, rates) – Not deductible unless strict ATO eligibility criteria are satisfied
- Personal self-help or wellness courses – Not deductible unless directly related to current coaching or counselling duties
- 100% claims for laptop, phone or internet – Not permitted; work-related use must be reasonably apportioned to exclude private usage
Click here to see Tax Calculator for End-of-life transition coach.
