Tradie Accountant in Sydney
For electricians, plumbers, carpenters, builders and other trades, whether you're on wages, an apprentice, a subcontractor with an ABN or running a business with staff. We do your tax return, ABN, GST and BAS, and claim your tools, vehicle and protective gear. See us at our Chippendale office or work with us online, with a fixed fee agreed before we start.
Tax done for tradies
From tools to travel, tradies have deductions many people miss. We know the trade inside out and make certain you claim everything you’re entitled to.
Accountants who work with tradies
We look after electricians, plumbers, carpenters, builders, painters, tilers, landscapers, mechanics and other trades, whether you're on wages, an apprentice, a subcontractor with an ABN, or running a business with staff.
What we look after
- Employee tradies: tax returns that claim your tools, protective gear, vehicle, phone, licences and training.
- Subcontractors and sole traders: ABN income and expenses, GST registration, BAS and PAYG instalments. See paying tax as a sole trader.
- Tradie businesses: company and trust tax returns, payroll, super and BAS for businesses with employees.
- Your ute or van: we work out whether the logbook or cents-per-km method gives you the bigger claim. See our car logbook guide.
- Tools and equipment: what you can claim straight away and what is depreciated over time. See ATO depreciation rates.
How it works
- Book a time, or send us your documents and we will call you.
- We prepare your tax return or BAS and check every deduction you are entitled to.
- We go through it with you, then lodge it with the ATO.
Fees
We agree a fixed fee with you before we start, so there are no surprises. The fee for managing your tax affairs is generally tax-deductible in the year you pay it.
See us at our Chippendale office, or work with us by phone, video and email from anywhere in Australia.
Tax rules every tradie should know
- Your ute or van: a ute or van designed to carry less than one tonne is treated as a car, so you claim it with the cents per kilometre or logbook method. If it's designed to carry one tonne or more, you claim the actual running costs for the work share of its use, with records of your trips. Driving from home to work generally isn't deductible, unless you have to carry bulky tools and there's nowhere secure to leave them on site.
- Tools and equipment: as an employee, you can claim items costing $300 or less straight away. Dearer items are depreciated over their effective life. Trade businesses use the depreciation rules and, where available, the instant asset write-off.
- Protective gear: steel-capped boots, hi-vis, gloves, safety glasses and sun protection if you work outdoors. Plain work clothes, like jeans or a black t-shirt, aren't deductible.
- Licences, tickets and training: renewing a licence or ticket you need for your current job is deductible. The cost of getting your first licence generally isn't.
- Subcontractors: if most of your income comes from one builder or client for your own labour, the personal services income rules may apply. They limit what you can claim and stop you splitting income with family. We check whether they apply to you.
- Paying contractors: businesses in building and construction must report payments to contractors to the ATO in a taxable payments annual report, due by 28 August each year. If you pay a contractor mainly for their labour, you may also have to pay super for them, as you would for an employee.
For a full list of what you can claim, see tax deductions for tradies.
Deductions for tradespeople
Common deductions we help tradies claim:
Tools & equipment
Purchase, repair and depreciation of your tools.
Protective clothing
Boots, hi-vis and safety gear.
Vehicle & travel
Work-related car and travel expenses.
Licences & training
Tickets, licences and courses for your trade.
We know the trade inside out
You’re flat out on the tools — the last thing you need is tax hanging over you. We make it quick and painless, chase down every deduction, and keep you compliant so you can get back to work.
Free guides
Related guides
Plain-English answers from our registered tax agents. Free to read, no sign-up.
Business & Sole Traders
Tax deductions for tradies
What can tradies claim on tax in 2026? Tools and the $300 rule, protective gear, ute and travel, licences and more - a clear ATO-based Australian guide.
Read guide
Tax Tips & Planning
Car logbook: how to keep one the ATO accepts
Free vehicle log book template (Excel) with every detail the ATO requires: what each trip must record, the 12-week rule, a filled-in example and the formula.
Read guideTax Tips & Planning
ATO vehicle logbook template
Free vehicle log book template (Excel) with every detail the ATO requires: what each trip must record, the 12-week rule, a filled-in example and the formula.
Read guide
Get your tradie tax sorted
Our registered tax agents make it quick and painless — book an appointment or grab a quick quote today.
Frequently asked questions
Work-related vehicle use is deductible. We work out the best method (logbook or cents-per-km) for your situation.
Tools and equipment you paid for are deductible — outright for smaller items, or via depreciation for larger ones.
Keep receipts where you can. There are limited exceptions, and we’ll tell you exactly what records you need.
If you're genuinely running your own business as a subcontractor, you'll generally need an ABN, and you must register for GST once your turnover reaches $75,000. If you're really working as an employee, you should be paid wages and super instead. We can help you work out which applies.
If you're registered for GST you'll lodge a business activity statement, usually quarterly. We prepare and lodge it for you and keep your GST, PAYG instalments and records in order.
Yes. Many tradies send us their documents and we handle everything by phone and email, so you never need to leave the job site.
We agree a fixed fee with you before we start, so there are no surprises. The fee for managing your tax affairs is generally tax-deductible in the year you pay it.
Generally no. Travel between home and your regular workplace is private. The main exception is when you have to carry bulky tools or equipment for work and there's nowhere secure to store them at the site. Travel between job sites during the day is deductible.
Yes, if you're an employee: tools and equipment costing $300 or less can be claimed in full in the year you buy them, as long as they're not part of a set that costs more than $300. Dearer items are depreciated over their effective life.
Yes, the work-related share of your phone and data costs. Keep a record over a representative four-week period to work out your work-use percentage.
If your business is in building and construction and pays contractors, you must report those payments to the ATO each year in the taxable payments annual report (TPAR), due by 28 August. We can prepare and lodge it with your BAS.
Sometimes. If you pay a contractor mainly for their labour, they can count as an employee for super purposes even if they have an ABN, so you may need to pay super for them. We can work out which of your contractors this applies to.