Yesterday I took a leap of sporting faith and joined my local golf club (albeit a partial membership…but it’s a step in the right direction!)

I guess this means there’s now one more annual subscription to go with my memberships of Fitness Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand as well as the National Tax Accountants Association…

…the only sad thing is, that unlike the others…my golf club membership is not tax deductible!

In order to claim a tax deduction for memberships and subscriptions, the purchase must be made in the course of earning your income.  Any payments made which are private or domestic in nature are unable to be claimed as a tax deduction.

When considering the deductibility of memberships and subscriptions, you should split the amount between work related and private use if that is applicable, and you should remember that you cannot claim a tax deduction if the amount is reimbursed to you.

In my case, the golf club membership is clearly a private expense (I’m not quite at the stage of earning income from my golfing capabilities…) however the others I mentioned earlier all relate to my income earning capacity either in the fitness industry or as an accountant.

Regards