Adult Entertainment/Dancer Tax Deductions

A lot of legitimate deductions are available to adult entertainers, and these deductions can boost your refund at the end of the year if you claim them on your tax return each year.

When it comes to claiming deductions, what should I know?

During the financial year, you can deduct any money spent on products or services that directly relate to earning an income. However, you should keep two things in mind:

1. To start, you must have spent the money yourself (it cannot have been reimbursed by your employer), and
2. Secondly, you need to keep a record of the expense such as a receipt or invoice.

What deductions can I claim?

There is a wide range of deductions you can claim as an adult entertainer/dancer, such as:

• If you travel between two jobs on the same day (for example, working as a dance teacher and working at an adult entertainment bar), you will incur car expenses, including parking and tolls. If you have to travel between clients (for example, from one client to another), you will incur costs.
• Commissions paid to an agency (Floor fees), plus any union or professional association fees
• Any costs connected to advertising your services in the adult industry
• Expenses associated with the purchase, repair, and cleaning of work clothing that forms part of your uniform or is specific to your job.
• The cost of purchasing any consumable items you use solely for earning your income as an employee in the adult industry, including condoms, lubricants, gels, oils and tissues
• Any expenses related to the purchase of stage make-up, hairdressing products, or makeup removers specially designed for stage use
• Downloading music files for rehearsals/subscriptions to music programs including Spotify directly related to your work, such as downloading music files or tapes.
• Meals you buy and eat while working overtime, but only if you receive an overtime meal allowance under an industrial law, award, or enterprise agreement.
• Provided your employer does not already cover phone and internet expenses for work-related usage on your personal device or phone
• A cost associated with maintaining a photographic portfolio for publicity purposes, but not with creating it
• Course fees for self-education related to your current line of work, such as a masterclass on advanced pole dancing techniques or entry fees for industry events.
• Expenses related to the purchase and insurance of equipment or tools specific to your job.
• Travel expenses such as accommodation and meals incurred while performing a show in another city for one or more nights when traveling for work.
• Home office:Working from home? You can claim a deduction for the additional expenses you incur to run your office from home

What records do I need to keep?  

Keeping track of receipts might seem tedious, but it's essential if you want to get a good tax refund, so keep track of your receipts and make sure you have a comprehensive set of records. To keep track of this throughout the year, it's smart to create an easy, reliable system.

Keeping digital receipts (such as a photo of a receipt or an email receipt) is acceptable as long as they can be read:

• Supplier's name
• Expense amount
• Goods or services offered
• The date on which the expense was paid
• Document date

As long as your expenses don't total more than $200, you don't have to keep receipts for expenses under $10.