ATO Receipt Requirements 2026: Complete Record Keeping Guide
Everything you need to know about the ATO's receipt and record keeping requirements for tax deductions. Learn what to keep, how long, and what to do if you lose receipts.
📋 Quick Summary
✅ Keep ALL receipts: Any expense you claim as a tax deduction
✅ 5-year rule: Keep records for 5 years after you lodge your return
✅ Digital is fine: Scanned/photographed receipts are ATO-compliant
✅ Required info: Date, supplier, amount, description, and GST (if applicable)
Table of Contents
What the ATO Requires on Receipts
The ATO requires specific information on receipts for them to be valid. Missing any of these details could result in your claim being rejected during an audit.
✅ Required Information on Every Receipt
Date of Transaction
The exact date the purchase was made or service was provided
Supplier Name
Full business name and ABN of the supplier (for purchases over $82.50 inc GST)
Amount Paid
Total amount including GST (if applicable)
Description of Goods/Services
Clear description of what was purchased (not just "supplies" or "materials")
GST Amount (if applicable)
If you're GST registered, you need a tax invoice showing GST for claims over $82.50
⚠️ The $82.50 Rule
For expenses over $82.50 (including GST), you must have a tax invoice showing the supplier's ABN and GST amount. For expenses under $82.50, a regular receipt is fine.
How Long to Keep Receipts
Keep receipts for 5 years
The ATO requires you to keep tax records for 5 years after you lodge your tax return. This applies to all receipts, invoices, and supporting documents.
Example Timeline
• June 30, 2026: Financial year ends
• October 31, 2026: You lodge your 2025-26 tax return
• October 31, 2031: You can safely dispose of 2025-26 records
⚠️ Longer Retention for Some Records
Some records must be kept longer than 5 years:
- Rental property depreciation schedules: Until the property is sold, plus 5 years
- Capital gains tax records: Until the asset is sold, plus 5 years
- Business asset purchases: Until fully depreciated, plus 5 years
Digital vs Paper Receipts: What's Acceptable?
Good news: The ATO fully accepts digital records! You don't need to keep paper receipts if you have high-quality digital copies.
✅ ATO-Approved Digital Methods
- Photos on your phone - Take clear photos of receipts immediately
- Scanned copies - Use a scanner or scanning app
- Email receipts - Save PDFs or screenshots of email confirmations
- Digital invoices - Download and save from supplier portals
- Receipt apps - Use dedicated apps like ReceiptClaimer
📱 Best Practices for Digital Receipts
1. Capture immediately: Thermal receipts fade within months - photograph them right away
2. Ensure readability: All text must be clear and legible in the digital copy
3. Back up regularly: Store copies in cloud storage or multiple locations
4. Keep originals temporarily: Hold paper receipts for 1-2 months until you've confirmed digital copies are clear
5. Organize systematically: Use folders by year and category for easy retrieval
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Start Free Trial →What If You Lose a Receipt?
Lost receipts happen. Here's what you can do to still claim the deduction:
Option 1: Request a Copy
Contact the supplier and request a duplicate invoice or receipt. Most businesses can reprint from their system.
Best for: Large expenses, recent purchases
Option 2: Use Bank/Credit Card Statements
Bank statements showing the transaction can be used as supporting evidence, especially for small amounts under $300.
Best for: Small expenses, recurring subscriptions
Option 3: Write a Statutory Declaration
For lost receipts under $300, you can write a statutory declaration describing the expense, including date, amount, supplier, and reason for the expense.
Best for: Cash transactions, one-off purchases
⚠️ The $300 Rule
For work-related expenses under $300 each, the ATO may accept alternative evidence like bank statements or written records. For expenses over $300, you generally MUST have a receipt or tax invoice.
Different Types of Records
Not all expenses require traditional receipts. Here's what you need for different types of deductions:
🚗 Vehicle & Mileage Claims
Cents per km method (up to 5,000 km): No receipts required, just a log of trips
Logbook method (over 5,000 km): 12-week logbook + all vehicle expense receipts
🏠 Home Office Expenses
Fixed rate method: Time-based records (diary/timesheet)
Actual cost method: Receipts for electricity, internet, furniture, equipment
🎁 Charitable Donations
Receipt from the charity showing their DGR status, date, and amount donated
🏘️ Rental Property Expenses
All receipts for repairs, maintenance, rates, insurance, property management fees, interest statements from lender
Common Record Keeping Mistakes
❌ Mistake #1: Waiting Too Long to Digitize
Thermal receipts (most grocery/hardware store receipts) fade completely within 6-12 months. By tax time, they're often unreadable.
❌ Mistake #2: Not Separating Personal & Business
If a receipt includes both personal and business items, you need to clearly mark which items are business-related.
❌ Mistake #3: Losing Contractor Tax Invoices
For rental property repairs over $300, you MUST have a proper tax invoice with ABN. A handwritten note isn't sufficient.
❌ Mistake #4: Not Backing Up Digital Records
If your phone breaks or computer crashes, you lose all your receipts. Always use cloud backup.
Making Your Records Audit-Proof
The ATO can audit you within 5 years of lodging your return. Here's how to ensure your records pass scrutiny:
Complete & Clear
Every receipt must be fully legible with all required information visible
Organized by Category
Group expenses by type: vehicle, home office, rental property, donations, etc.
Match to Bank Statements
Cross-reference receipts with bank/credit card statements to prove payment
Document the Purpose
Add notes explaining why each expense is work-related (especially for gray-area items)
Keep Everything
When in doubt, keep it. It's better to have too many records than not enough
💡 Pro Tip
Create a simple spreadsheet summarizing all your deductions with columns for: Date, Supplier, Amount, Category, Receipt File Name. This makes it easy to find specific receipts during an audit.
Automate Your Record Keeping
Stop worrying about lost receipts. ReceiptClaimer automatically backs up, organizes, and stores all your receipts in ATO-compliant format for 5+ years.