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To be able to claim a deduction for work-related expenses if you a real estate professional

• you must have spent the money yourself and were not reimbursed
• it must be directly related to earning your income
• you must have a record to prove it

You can only claim the work-related part of the expenses.

Gifts

• You can claim a deduction for the cost of gifts - eg alcohol, flowers - bought for work purposes if you are a salesperson or property manager entitled to receive your income from commission or both commission and retainer.
• You can't claim a deduction if you earn a fixed income and you are not entitled to earn a commission.
• You can't claim a deduction for gifts that are in the form of entertainment - eg a live sporting event.

Other common deductible work-related expenses

•  marketing equipment - eg the work-related portion of cameras used for property photos
• decorating properties - eg flowers
• renewing your annual certificate of registration
• union and professional association fees
• technical or professional publications

Home Office Expenses

• You can claim a percentage of the running costs of your home office if you have to work from home, including depreciation of office equipment, work-related phone calls and internet access charges, electricity for heating or cooling as well as the lighting costs.
• If you are required to purchase equipment for your work and it costs more than $300 you can claim a deduction for these costs spread of a number of years (depreciation)
• You generally cannot claim the cost of rats, mortgage interest, rent and insurance.

Travel Expenses

• You can claim a deduction for travel expenses if you have to travel overnight from your usual work location - eg travelling to a remote area to inspect a property - provided the cost was incurred while carrying out your work duties. Travel expenses may include meals and accommodation, fares, petrol and incidentals such as parking fees and tolls.
• Receiving a travel allowance from your employer does not automatically entitle you to a deduction. You still need to show that you were away overnight, you spent the money yourself and the travel was directly related to earning your income eg it was not a personal expense.

Car Expenses

• You can claim a deduction when you drive between separate jobs on the same day - eg travelling from your real estate agency to your second job as a waiter 
• Drive to and from an alternate workplace for the same employer on the same day - eg travelling between two different residential open homes
• If you claim car expenses, you will need to keep a logbook to determine the work-related percentage or be able to demonstrate to the ATO a reasonable calculation if you use the cents per kilometer method to claim.

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