Which courses count? 

Not all self-education expenses are deductible. To be deductible you must have been working and the self-education expense must have been incurred to gain a formal qualification that would help you in carrying out your job. To be eligible the course must have been provided by a school, college, university or other place of education. The figure below will help you decide if your expense is deductible.

What this means is that there has to be a direct link between the study you are undertaking and your current job. This might include, for example, undertaking a management degree part time so that you can improve your pay prospects in your current job. However there has been a recent case where a taxpayer was successful with her self education costs where she did not satisfy the above. An update to this report is coming soon.                      

Disclaimer: This is not advice. Items herein are general comments only and do not constitute or convey advice per se. The information contained in this article is for guidance only and should not be relied upon without obtaining professional advice having regard to your specific circumstances.