Tax
The records to keep before 30 June
Nathan Roe · 16 October 2026 · 1 min read
Most deductions are not lost because they were ineligible. They are lost because nobody kept the receipt in a place the accountant could find it.
By the time I sit down with a client in July, the year’s position is largely fixed. What can still be improved is how much of it is provable.
Keep the evidence, not just the total
A bank line saying “tools” is not a record of a business expense. The invoice is. Photograph it when you receive it, not in September when the shoebox is opened.
The four records to have ready
- Income: sales records, invoices issued, and platform statements from anything that pays you.
- Motor vehicle: a logbook or a record of the kilometres travelled for work.
- Home office: hours and the basis on which you are claiming.
- Assets: anything purchased over the threshold, with its date and cost.
The timing question
Genuine decisions about when to buy equipment or bring forward an expense are worth making before the year ends, and are legitimate. Inventing a reason afterwards is not, and it is the fastest way to turn a small adjustment into an audit.
A practical habit
One folder per year, one system for receipts, and a quarterly look at the figures. That is the whole method, and it removes most of the stress in June.