Most of us have one: a shoebox, glovebox or kitchen drawer full of faded receipts. This weekend, grab a coffee and give yourself an hour to sort it out with the AI tools already on your phone.
The one-hour plan
- Snap everything. Lay the receipts out and photograph them in batches, or use the receipt capture in Xero or MYOB if you have it.
- Ask an AI assistant to build the list. Upload a batch and try: “Make a table of these receipts with date, supplier, total, GST and a category such as fuel, tools, phone or meals.”
- Check the numbers. AI tools misread faded print, so spot-check totals against the paper before you rely on them.
- Save it properly. Keep the photos and the spreadsheet together in a cloud folder by financial year. Clear digital copies are generally accepted by the ATO.
A word of caution: don’t upload anything with your TFN, bank details or customer information to a public AI tool.
What about the new $1,000 deduction?
From the 2026–27 year, employees can claim a standard deduction of up to $1,000 for work-related expenses without receipts. But if you claim more than $1,000, you need records for all of it, and business expenses still need records too. So the shoebox still matters.
Want your records set up so tax time takes minutes, not weekends? Talk to our Dee Why team.
This is general information only and not personal advice. Source: ATO, Standard deduction for work-related expenses.
