Private ruling: Subject 1: Work related self-education expenses
Date of advice: 5 March 2026
Published: 20 April 2026
Ruling period: DD MM 20YY to DD MM 20YY
Date scheme commenced: DD MM 20YY

Ruling: Q1: Can you claim a deduction for the costs you incurred to complete your degree equivalent assessment? | A1: Yes. The costs you incurred meet the requirements under section 8-1 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997) and Taxation Ruling TR 2024/3 Income tax: deductibility of self-education expenses incurred by an individual .

Relevant facts and circumstances: For over XX years, your role has been as a Role A with Company A. You have stated that Role A is a leadership role within the business, and you are primarily responsible for representing the business with external stakeholders and project management. You provided a detailed explanation of your duties in Role A. On DD MM 20YY, you enrolled in a degree equivalent assessment that was in line with your employment duties. You provided a description of the assessment. You provided the costs for the assessment, with the payment amounts and dates on the invoices for each stage. You have stated that the degree is a program designed for experienced practitioners who are already established in the given industry, but do not hold a formally accredited university degree. The program assists non-university graduates with a minimum of XX years relevant industry experience in furthering their existing career. You have stated that in order to complete the assessment, candidates must research and apply current industry requirements, X practices, and X techniques. These processes update and maintain the technical skills you use in your current role. You have stated that completion of the assessment provides the prerequisite required to sit the industry examination. Passing the examination will allow you to register formally and use the title of the given industry. Gaining this registration creates an increased income-earning capacity while continuing in the same line of work. Your study was not funded by your employer.

Relevant legislative provisions: Income Tax Assessment 1997 section 8-1