Using the cents per kilometre method

The 'cents per kilometre' method broadly allows an individual taxpayer to claim up to a maximum of 5,000 business kilometres per car, per year without the need to keep any written evidence (e.g. receipts) of car expenses. 

Importantly, taxpayers making a 'cents per kilometre' claim are required to demonstrate that they worked out the number of business kilometres they claimed on a reasonable basis. 

Taxpayers claiming under this method will generally fall into one of two categories, being either those who undertake a regular or irregular pattern of work-related travel. 

If a taxpayer has a regular pattern of work-related travel (e.g., a 60 kilometre round trip to the warehouse to pick up supplies twice a week, 40 weeks in the year), then this type of explanation would generally be sufficient to justify the claim.

However, if the taxpayer has an irregular pattern of work-related travel, then they would need to make a note (e.g., in a diary) of each trip. 

The Money Edge | Bundaberg