finance

The craziest things people are trying to claim on their tax returns.

It’s tax time again, and if you’re anything like us, you’re frantically scrambling around that giant pile of receipts you’ve been diligently collecting all year, looking for things you can claim.

But you might want to rethink adding that black dress you wore to your cousin Sharon’s wedding to your deductibles.

According to a report by The Courier Mail, people are trying to claim some pretty, uh, interesting things this year.

So far, the Australian Tax Office has seen someone claim their pet Maltese Terrier is actually a “guard dog”, while another person tried to claim a weekend getaway, citing stress relief.

Tax
People have been making some pretty interesting claims on their tax returns. Image: Getty
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While you definitely have to admire their creativity, ATO assistant commissioner Kath Anderson told The Courier Mail there are repercussions for falsified claims.

"If a claim raises a red flag in the system, the ATO will investigate further and if the claim is incorrect, we will work with the taxpayer to correct it," she told The Courier Mail.

"Depending on their behaviour, we may also impose a penalty."

And believe it or not, fluffy white dogs disguised as guard dogs aren't even the strangest claims the ATO has seen over recent years.

A 2015 report by News.com.au said people had successfully claimed things like Xbox consoles and even breast implants.

Accounting firm H&R Block told News.com.au, they had processed breast implants for an exotic dancer, sex toys for adult entertainers, a pool table for a business, and even ceremonial swords for a professional sword swallower.

So, how do you know what's okay and what's taking things a little bit too far?

"The simplest way to determine whether an expense is deductible is to follow the three golden rules," Anderson told The Courier Mail.

"You must have paid for it yourself and not been reimbursed; it must be directly related to earning your income and not of a private nature; and you need a record to prove it."

So, that's probably a no to Netflix.

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