Don’t Let Your Tax Deductions Blow Away.
Snap receipts instantly. Throw the paper away. Claim every dollar.
Your Glovebox is Not a Filing Cabinet.
In Australia, every lost receipt is essentially a donation to the ATO. If you can’t prove the expense, you can’t claim the deduction. Faded, lost, or coffee-stained receipts cost the average Australian tradie thousands in unclaimed tax offsets every year.
Sole makes expense tracking instant:
- Buy materials at the trade desk.
- Snap a photo in the Sole app before you even start the engine.
Trash the paper. Sole stores a digital, ATO-compliant version securely in the cloud.
The Smarter Way to Track Spend.
- Optical Character Recognition (OCR): You don’t have time to type. Our AI-powered scanner “reads” the receipt for you, automatically pulling out the merchant (e.g., Reece, Middy’s), the date, the GST amount, and the total.
- Category Sorting: Instantly tag expenses as “Materials,” “Fuel,” “Tools,” or “Uniforms.” When tax time rolls around, your reports are already sorted for your accountant.
- Job Costing (Profit Protection): Assign every expense to a specific project. Want to know if you actually made money on that bathroom renovation? Sole shows you exactly how much was spent on materials vs. what you invoiced.
GST Ready: Sole automatically separates the GST component of your purchases, giving you a real-time view of your next BAS liability. No more “BAS surprises.”
Manual vs. Sole
| Feature | The “Paper” Method | Sole App |
| Audit Risk | High (faded/lost receipts) | Low (ATO-compliant digital storage) |
| Data Entry | Manual & Slow | Automated OCR (Zero typing) |
| Searchability | Impossible | Find any receipt in seconds |
| Tax Refund | Often missed (lost items) | Maximised (every cent logged) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the ATO really accept a photo of a receipt?
Yes. The ATO officially accepts digital images of paper records provided they are a “true and clear reproduction” of the original. Once you have snapped a clear photo using Sole’s OCR scanner, you can legally throw the paper away. Digital records are easier to store, don’t fade over time, and can be retrieved in seconds during an audit.
What is OCR, and how does it help me on-site?
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is like having a tiny admin assistant inside your phone. It “reads” the text on your receipt for you. When you snap a photo of a Bunnings or Reece invoice, Sole automatically pulls out the Merchant Name, Date, Total Amount, and GST. This means you spend zero time typing in data while you’re on the job.
Why is it important to “tag” my expenses to specific jobs?
Tagging (or Job Costing) is how you protect your profit. If you buy $400 worth of copper pipe, tagging it to the “Smith Bathroom Reno” tells you exactly how much your materials are eating into your quote. At the end of the job, you can see if you actually made the margin you planned for or if you need to adjust your pricing for the next one.
How long do I need to keep these digital receipts?
The general rule in Australia is that you must keep your records for five years from the date you lodge your tax return. Because Sole stores your receipts in the cloud, you don’t have to worry about losing them if you upgrade your phone or if your physical copies get damaged by water or sun in the ute.
Can I claim my phone and the Sole subscription as a deduction?
Absolutely. If you use your phone for business tasks—like snapping receipts, taking client calls, or using GPS—you can claim a percentage of the phone’s cost and your monthly plan. Furthermore, software used to manage your business (like your Sole subscription) is a 100% tax-deductible operating expense.
What are the most common “forgotten” deductions for tradies?
Beyond materials, many tradies miss out on:
- Sun Protection: If you work outdoors, you can claim the cost of sunscreen, polarized sunglasses, and sun-safe hats.
- Laundry: You can claim the cost of washing and drying your branded or protective work clothes.
- Tools under $20,000: Thanks to the 2025–26 Instant Asset Write-Off, you can immediately deduct the full cost of eligible tools up to $20k, rather than depreciating them over years.
What happens if a receipt is too faded for the OCR to read?
If a receipt is badly damaged or faded, Sole’s scanner might struggle. In these cases, you can still manually enter the details and attach the “best possible” photo. For the future, the best habit is to “snap it before you strap it”—take the photo the second you get back to the ute while the receipt is still fresh.