Deduction Explorer · 2023–24 income year
Average work-related deductions for secretary
In the 2023–24 income year, 19,619 people who listed their occupation as Secretary claimed work-related deductions, averaging $1,242 per claimant (ATO Taxation Statistics 2023–24).
- Average per claimant
- $1,242
- People claiming
- 19,619
- Share of people in this job who claimed
- 72%
- Total claimed
- $24,366,027
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What secretary claim
Average per claimant and the share of people in this job who claimed each type of work-related expense.
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| Category | People claiming | Share | Average per claimant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car expenses | 5,184 | 19% | $1,493 |
| Travel expenses | 1,238 | 5% | $653 |
| Clothing, uniform and laundry | 7,883 | 29% | $212 |
| Self-education | 779 | 3% | $2,053 |
| Other work-related expenses | 16,908 | 62% | $742 |
Where claims fall
How many people in the ATO's occupation group Personal assistants and secretaries claimed within each range of total work-related deductions. The ATO publishes claim ranges for groups of related jobs, not for each job, and these are its ranges, not exact percentiles.
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| Claim range | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $1 - $299 | 9,800 | 17.1% |
| $300 | 1,861 | 3.3% |
| $301 - $500 | 5,339 | 9.3% |
| $501 - $750 | 6,479 | 11.3% |
| $751 - $1,000 | 5,618 | 9.8% |
| $1,001 - $2,500 | 15,616 | 27.3% |
| More than $2,500 | 12,522 | 21.9% |
Coming in 2026–27: a $1,000 standard deduction
From the 2026–27 income year (returns lodged from July 2027), people who earn salary or wages can claim a $1,000 standard deduction for work-related expenses without keeping receipts. If your actual work-related expenses come to more than $1,000, you claim those instead, with records. Union and professional association fees and income protection insurance can still be claimed on top.
In 2023–24, 51% of people in personal assistants and secretaries who claimed work-related deductions claimed $1,000 or less.
ATO: standard deduction for work-related expenses. This doesn't change the figures above, which are what people claimed in 2023–24.
Average claim over time
Average claim per claimant for secretary, by income year (all incomes, all sexes). The ATO publishes the history by type of expense, not as a single total.
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| Income year | Average per claimant |
|---|---|
| 2010–11 | $416 |
| 2011–12 | $435 |
| 2012–13 | $446 |
| 2013–14 | $456 |
| 2014–15 | $483 |
| 2015–16 | $510 |
| 2016–17 | $510 |
| 2017–18 | $505 |
| 2018–19 | $494 |
| 2019–20 | $611 |
| 2020–21 | $793 |
| 2021–22 | $833 |
| 2022–23 | $726 |
| 2023–24 | $742 |
Versus the national average
The average claim for secretary ($1,242 per claimant) is 58% lower than the national average of $2,956 per claimant across all occupations in 2023–24.
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Typical deductions for this job
- The ATO's occupation and industry guides explain what people in this kind of work can and can't claim.
- Work out common claims with our calculators: car kilometres, working from home, uniform and laundry and claims without receipts, or tick off common deductions for this kind of job.
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Figures are from ATO Taxation Statistics 2023–24, Individuals tables 14A (by occupation, sex and taxable income), 14B (trend), 15B (income) and 18B (claim ranges), for people who listed their occupation as Secretary (ATO occupation code 5212). The ATO publishes claim ranges for occupation groups only, so the claim-range chart covers everyone in Personal assistants and secretaries (group 52).
Averages are per claimant: total work-related deductions divided by the number of people who claimed them. 27,261 people with this occupation lodged a return. Where the ATO hides a figure because too few people are involved, we show "not published" and never estimate it. Where the ATO combines small groups across income ranges to protect privacy, only the combined figure is shown. Claim ranges are the ATO's ranges, not exact percentiles.
The refund estimate applies 2025–26 resident tax rates to the figures you type. It is an estimate, not advice, and assumes you were an Australian resident for the full year.
Source: ATO Taxation Statistics 2023–24 (data.gov.au), CC BY 2.5 AU. Licence. Analysis and presentation by Your Tax Refund, operated by BRS Advisory Pty Ltd, a registered tax agent (TPB 26233684). General information, not tax advice.