To claim a deduction, there must be a necessary nexus or connection to your current income. This means that self-education needs to help you in your current job and not be undertaken to open up new job opportunities. The tax office states the following conditions to claim a deduction.
- The course maintained or improved a skill or specific knowledge required for your then-current work activities.
- You could show that the course was leading to, or was likely to lead to, increased income from your then-current work activities, or
- Other circumstances existed that established a direct connection between the course and your then-current work activities.
You cannot claim a deduction for self-education for a course that:
- relates only in a general way to your current employment or profession, or
- will enable you to get new employment.
The following examples will explain further;
Example 1: Lisa is a pharmacy sales assistant who is studying for a pharmacy degree so that she can become a pharmacist. The expenses related to the study are not allowable as the study is designed to open up a new income-earning activity.
Example 2: Andrew, a trainee accountant, studies commerce part-time at Deakin university. He is allowed a deduction for the costs associated with the course because it will enable him to maintain or increase the specific knowledge required in his current position and to carry out his duties more effectively.