101 Ways to Save Money on Your Tax - Legally! 2026 - 2027

FIND OUT HOW CHANGES TO NEGATIVE GEARING, CAPITAL GAINS AND TRUSTS WILL AFFECT YOU The most up-to-date Australian tax guide, covering all the key changes for the 2026–2027 financial year Most books just sit on your shelf. This one pays you back every year. 101 Ways to Save Money on Your Tax — Legally! includes all the latest deductions, thresholds and ATO updates, so you can save hundreds (or even thousands!) on your next tax return. Bestselling author Adrian Raftery — aka Mr Taxman — has helped countless Australians lodge their returns smarter and claim more money back. Ever wondered about the secrets the rich use to avoid overpaying tax? Most of them aren't complicated. You just need to know where to look. Whether you're an employee, investor, business owner or retiree, this guide makes tax time stress-free. Inside, you'll discover how to: claim every deduction you're entitled to — including ones most people miss avoid the common errors that trigger audits, penalties and overpayments understand exactly how this year's changes to personal tax and super contributions will affect your return navigate tricky areas like family trusts, capital gains, rental properties and negative gearing lodge on time, with confidence, and without the accountant's bill. Now in its 16th edition, 101 Ways to Save Money on Your Tax — Legally! remains Australia's most trusted, easy-to-follow and up-to-date tax companion. The ATO isn't going to tell you how to pay less. Mr Taxman will.

About the author ix How to use this book xi Introduction xiii PART I YOU AND YOUR FAMILY 1 1 Marriage 2 2 Income splitting 4 3 Invalid and invalid carer tax offset 6 4 Children 8 5 Payments for new parents 10 6 Child care 12 7 Low-income earners 14 8 Senior and pensioner tax offset 16 9 Other government benefits 18 10 Family breakdown 22 11 Death 24 12 Family trusts 26 PART II YOUR EMPLOYMENT 29 13 Car usage 31 14 Methods to claim car travel 33 15 Travel 35 16 Uniform 37 17 Home off ice 39 18 Other work-related deductions 42 19 Keeping those receipts 45 20 ATO hit lists 48 21 Redundancy 51 22 Working a second job 53 23 Salary sacrifice 54 24 Fringe benefits 57 25 Living-away-from-home allowance 61 PART III YOUR EDUCATION 65 26 Claiming self-education expenses 66 27 Student loans 70 28 Austudy and ABSTUDY 77 29 Scholarships 79 30 School building funds 81 31 Education savings plans 83 PART IV YOUR INVESTMENT PROPERTY 87 32 Negative gearing 90 33 Interest 92 34 Depreciation and low-value pooling 95 35 Repairs and maintenance 99 36 Borrowing and legal expenses 101 37 Other rental property deductions 105 38 Foreign investment properties 107 39 Capital gains tax 109 40 PAYG withholding variation 112 41 Co-ownership of your investment property 114 42 Build-to-rent properties 116 PART V YOUR SHARES 119 43 Dividends 120 44 Shares owned by low income earners 126 45 Borrowing to buy shares 128 46 Other share deductions 131 47 Capital gains tax on shares 132 48 Realising capital losses 134 49 Inheriting share portfolios 136 50 Share traders versus share investors 138 51 Rights and options 140 52 Employee share schemes 141 53 Share portfolios within self managed superannuation funds 143 54 Cryptocurrency 145 55 Non-fungible tokens 150 PART VI YOUR SUPERANNUATION 153 56 Contribution limits 156 57 Transfer balance cap 159 58 Downsizer contribution 162 59 Compulsory employer contributions 165 60 Salary sacrifice 168 61 Division 293 tax 171 62 Super co-contribution 173 63 Transferring foreign super 176 64 Self managed superannuation funds 177 65 Buying property within SMSFs 180 66 Gearing through a super fund 183 67 Accessing your super 185 68 Transition to retirement 187 69 Account-based pensions 189 70 Death benefits 191 71 Lost or unclaimed super 192 PART VII YOUR BUSINESS 197 72 Choosing the right business structure 198 73 Tax obligations 203 74 Record keeping 206 75 Deferring tax 209 76 Trading stock 210 77 Bad debts 212 78 Home-based businesses 214 79 Sharing Economy 216 80 Employing people 218 81 Single Touch Payroll 222 82 Tax concessions and offsets 224 83 Selling or closing down 230 84 Personal services income 232 85 Non-commercial losses 234 86 Division 7A loans by private companies 235 87 Franchising 237 88 Crowdfunding 239 PART VIII MISCELLANEOUS 243 89 Overseas income 243 90 Getting a great tax accountant 246 91 Lodging your tax return 249 92 Amending returns and objecting to assessments 251 93 ATO data matching 254 94 Problems paying your tax 258 95 Estate planning 259 96 Private ancillary funds 265 97 Levies 267 98 Zone and overseas forces tax offsets 270 99 Tax-effective investments 272 100 Tax planning as a 365-day process 274 101 Just do it! 275 Glossary 279 Bibliography 297 Index 299