TaxBot is an AI-powered tax and expense app for everyone — from individuals wanting a bigger tax refund to sole traders, freelancers and small businesses in Australia and the United States. You scan a receipt or upload a bank statement, and TaxBot's AI categorises each transaction, finds the deductions you're entitled to, tracks GST/BAS, and estimates your tax in real time.

How does TaxBot help me save on tax?

TaxBot reads your receipts and bank statements and uses AI to identify every work-related expense you can legally claim — matched to your occupation — including items people commonly miss like subscriptions, tools, phone, vehicle and depreciation. Claiming more legitimate deductions lowers your taxable income, so you keep more of what you earn.

Does TaxBot handle GST and BAS in Australia?

Yes. TaxBot tracks GST collected and paid, breaks it down by BAS quarter and full financial year (1 July – 30 June), and gives you a clear net-GST figure to help you prepare your Business Activity Statement.

TaxBot is for anyone who wants to pay less tax and keep better records — everyday individuals and employees claiming work-related deductions, as well as sole traders, freelancers, contractors, gig and rideshare drivers, tradies and small business owners. If you have expenses you can claim, TaxBot helps you find and track them without an accountant doing everything manually.

Yes — you can start free with no credit card. The free Starter plan includes essential tools and a monthly allowance of AI actions. Paid plans (from $14.99/month AUD) add unlimited receipts, more AI, and extra modules like invoicing, mileage and depreciation.

Can TaxBot turn my bank statement into deductions?

Yes. Upload a PDF or image of your bank statement and TaxBot's AI extracts every transaction, detects the financial year automatically, flags likely business deductions based on your occupation, and lets you save them to your records in one step.

Tradie Tax Deductions: Tools, Ute & Travel (Australia)

What sparkies, chippies, plumbers and mechanics can claim — and how to stop losing receipts on site

Tradies have some of the biggest, most legitimate deductions of any worker in Australia — and lose more of them than almost anyone, because receipts get destroyed on the job. Crumpled in a glovebox, soaked, faded, lost. A claim you can't prove is a claim you can't make.

Whether you're employed or running your own ABN, here's exactly what you can claim — and how to make sure the paperwork survives long enough to count.

General information only, not personal tax advice. Verify current thresholds and rules with the ATO (ato.gov.au) or a registered tax agent.

The big three: tools, clothing, and the ute

Tools & equipment

Tools you buy for work are deductible. Lower-cost items can often be claimed immediately; more expensive gear is depreciated over its effective life (or written off under the small-business instant asset write-off — verify the current threshold). This covers hand tools, power tools, ladders, testers, even the toolbox. If a tool is part-private, claim the work-use share.

Protective clothing & laundry

This is where tradies have an edge over office workers. Protective and occupation-specific clothing — steel-cap boots, hi-vis, hard hats, safety glasses, gloves, sun protection for outdoor work — is deductible, and so is the cost of laundering and repairing it. Note the distinction: ordinary clothes (jeans, a plain t-shirt) are not deductible even if you only wear them to work.

The ute / vehicle

Vehicles are claimed one of two ways — cents per kilometre (capped at 5,000 business km) or the logbook method (your business-use % of actual costs, no cap). For tradies carrying tools between jobs, the logbook method usually wins. A genuine commercial vehicle (like a one-tonne ute) is also treated differently for FBT — worth checking your specific situation.

Travel: between jobs counts, the commute doesn't

This is the most misunderstood claim. Travel between work sites, from your workplace to a supplier, or carrying bulky tools because there's nowhere secure to store them on site — that's deductible. Your normal drive from home to your first job and back is generally private commuting and is not.

The kilometres add up fast for tradies driving all over the city — which is exactly why a logbook matters.

The rest of the checklist

Phone & internet — work-use percentage of the bill.
Licences, tickets & registrations needed for your trade (renewals; not the initial qualification to enter the trade).
Union and association fees.
Self-education that maintains or improves your trade skills.
Sunscreen and sun protection for those working outdoors.
Small consumables — tape, blades, fixings bought for work.
Income protection insurance (premiums, in many cases).

Mistakes that cost tradies money (or trigger the ATO)

Lost receipts. The number one cause of under-claiming. Snap it the moment you buy it.
Claiming the commute. Home to first job is private.
Claiming ordinary clothes. Only protective/occupation-specific clothing qualifies.
No logbook but claiming actual car costs. You need a valid 12-week logbook.

How TaxBot fixes the receipt problem

The worksite kills paper — so don't rely on paper. Snap each receipt into TaxBot the moment you buy: the AI reads it, files it under the right category (tools, fuel, clothing), and stores it safely so a faded docket in the glovebox never costs you a claim again. Big purchase like a new tool? TaxBot can store the warranty too. At tax time, export a clean summary for your agent.

Your action plan

Photograph every work purchase as you make it.
Start a 12-week logbook if you drive between jobs.
Keep protective-clothing and laundry records.
Review before 30 June and lodge with confidence.