Car expenses calculator 2026-27: cents per km or logbook?
Pop in your kilometres and, if you have them, your car costs. We'll show you which of the two ATO methods gives the bigger deduction for the 2026-27 year, and how we worked it out.
Nothing you type leaves your device. There's no sign-up, no cookies and no tracking.
How much can I claim for my car in 2026-27?
Your estimate
Need a 12-week logbook? Car Logbook for Australian Tax
How the calculator works
- Cents per km: work or business km × 91 cents, counting no more than 5,000 km per car. This rate covers all your running costs, so nothing is added on top.
- Logbook: your business-use percentage (work km ÷ total km) × your total car costs.
- The real logbook method uses the percentage from your 12-week logbook. Here we use your yearly kilometres as a stand-in, so treat the result as a guide.
- The rate is for the 2026-27 income year (1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027). Rates were checked against the ATO website on 2 November 2026.
- If you're registered for GST and claim GST credits on car costs, enter those costs without the GST.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent. This shows a possible deduction, not the tax you'd get back.
Quick questions
What is the cents per km rate for 2026-27?
For the 2026-27 income year (1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027) the ATO rate is 91 cents per kilometre, for up to 5,000 work or business kilometres per car. The ATO says this is a base rate of 89 cents plus a one-off 2 cent uplift for 2026-27 only.
Which method gives a bigger deduction?
It depends on your numbers. Cents per km often suits people who drive a modest number of work kilometres or have a cheap-to-run car. The logbook method often suits people who use the car a lot for work or have higher running costs. You can use whichever method gives the larger deduction, as long as you have the records it needs.
Can I add fuel or rego on top of the cents per km rate?
No. The rate already covers all car running costs, including fuel, registration, insurance, servicing, repairs and decline in value. You can't claim those separately when you use cents per km.
How long do I need to keep a logbook?
Your logbook needs to cover at least 12 continuous weeks that are representative of your travel for the year. A logbook is valid for 5 years, as long as you keep odometer readings for each year you rely on it. If your circumstances change, such as a new job or moving house, you may need a new one.
What costs count under the logbook method?
Running costs such as fuel or electricity, servicing, repairs, tyres, registration, insurance, loan interest or lease payments, and decline in value (depreciation). The purchase price of the car, the loan principal and improvement costs are not included.
Do I need receipts?
With cents per km you don't need receipts, but you need to show how you worked out your kilometres (for example a diary) and that you own the car. With the logbook method you need a valid logbook, odometer readings and receipts for your costs. Fuel can be a reasonable estimate based on odometer readings.
Can I count my drive to and from work?
Usually not. Normal trips between home and your regular workplace are generally private travel. Trips between work sites, to visit clients, or carrying bulky tools you need for work may count. The ATO page on trips you can and can't claim has the detail.
Who can use these two methods?
Employees claiming work-related car expenses, and sole traders or partnerships where at least one partner is an individual. Companies and trusts use different rules.
Handy if you're keeping records
A paper logbook for the glovebox. If the logbook method looks better for you, Car Logbook for Australian Tax is a small paperback with 12 weeks of trip pages, a work-use percentage summary and odometer pages for the following four years.
Claiming car costs on your BAS? Sorted Finance sorts your bank transactions for you and helps Australian sole traders get their BAS figures ready.
The calculator is free whether or not you use them.
Where these figures come from
- ATO: Cents per kilometre method
- ATO: Logbook method (employees)
- ATO: Logbook method (sole traders and partnerships)
- ATO legal database: Cents per Kilometre Deduction Rate Determination 2026 (LI 2026/19)
- ATO: Trips you can and can't claim
Please read
This page is general information only. It isn't tax advice and doesn't take your situation into account. It isn't from, or endorsed by, the Australian Taxation Office. Check the ATO website or talk to a registered tax agent before you lodge.