Last updated: July 2026 | Reading time: 10 min 📋 Quick Summary — Home Office Deduction 2025–26 Fixed rate (2025–26) 70 cents per hour worked from home Record keeping required Diary or log of actual hours — no more four-week representative period What's included in 70c rate Internet, electricity, phone — cannot claim these separately What's NOT included Desk, chair, monitor, laptop — claim separately if over $300 Alternative method Actual cost method — more complex, may give higher deduction Where to enter in myTax Deductions → Other work-related expenses When I first started working from home two days a week while running my Queensland business, I had no idea the 70-cent fixed rate even existed. For two years I'd been manually tallying electricity bills and trying to calculate a rough percentage — the hard way — before my accountant pointed me to the ATO's fixed rate method. The math...

Last updated: July 2026  |  Reading time: 11 min 📋 Quick Summary — Salary Sacrifice 2026-27 What it is Pre-tax salary redirected to approved benefits, reducing taxable income Most common uses Super contributions, novated lease (car), NFP living expenses Super concessional cap (2026-27) $32,500 total (employer SG + salary sacrifice) NFP living expenses cap $9,010 per FBT year (1 April – 31 March) EV novated lease FBT Exempt (below luxury car tax threshold ~$91,387) Effect on HECS repayments Does NOT reduce HECS repayment income — added back by ATO Employer requirement Voluntary — employer must agree and be set up to administer A colleague of mine had been salary sacrificing $10,000 per year into super for three years before she realised it wasn't reducing her HECS repayments the way she'd assumed. Someone told her it would lower her repayment income — it doesn't. The ATO adds reportable employer super contributions b...

Last updated: July 2026  |  Reading time: 10 min Quick Summary — Banking at a Glance (2026) The Big Four Banks CommBank, ANZ, NAB, Westpac The 6-Week Hack Open within 6 weeks of landing to use Passport ONLY (No 100-point hassle) Average Monthly Fee $4 to $6 AUD (Waived if monthly deposit conditions are met) Permanently Free Account NAB Classic Banking ($0 monthly fee unconditionally) Savings Account Rates 4.5% to 5.5% p.a. (Introductory/Bonus rates) Recommended IMT Tools Wise, WireBarley (Avoid legacy wire transfers) When migrating to a new country, setting up your financial foundation is paramount. One of the absolute first things you must do upon arriving is opening your first Australian bank account. Having a local account is an absolute necessity for receiving your salary, securing rental accommodation, and managing your daily expenses safely. In this comprehensive 2026 guide, we provide a complete, step-by-step breakdown of everything newcomers need t...

Last updated: July 2026  |  Reading time: 12 min Quick Summary — Super at a Glance (2026–27) Super Guarantee rate 12% of qualifying earnings Payday Super Starts 1 July 2026; contributions are generally due in the fund within 7 business days of payday Concessional contributions cap $32,500 for 2026–27 Non-concessional contributions cap $130,000 for 2026–27 Preservation age 60; access normally also requires a condition of release Contribution tax Concessional contributions are generally taxed at 15%; exceptions may apply Temporary residents May be eligible to claim DASP after leaving Australia and meeting the requirements When I first started working in Australia, my employer mentioned super during onboarding and I nodded along without really understanding what it was. I knew it was retirement money, but I did not understand how much was paid, who controlled it, whether I could choose the fund or what happened if I left Australia. Superannuation is the founda...