Australia's Gig Workers Know They Can Claim Deductions. They Just Can't Prove It.

As the ATO gains full visibility of platform earnings, a new tool launching in 2026 helps sole traders arrive at tax time with the records their agent actually needs.

NASHVILLE, TN / SYDNEY, AU - March 28, 2026 - David Koch this week called Australia's tax system "crazy" and demanded reform that restores fairness for working Australians. But for the country's 1.1 million independent contractors, the problem isn't what the law allows - it's what they can prove when they sit down with their tax agent.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 7.6% of all employed Australians work as independent contractors. Of the 13.7 million individual tax returns lodged for 2023-24, 58% were prepared by a registered tax agent. Most sole traders already know they can claim vehicle expenses, phone costs, and platform fees. What they lack is the organised records to substantiate those claims - records that, since July 2024, the ATO can cross-reference against data reported directly by the platforms themselves.

That's the gap Eazy-C is being built to close.

THE SUBSTANTIATION PROBLEM
The ATO's Sharing Economy Reporting Regime (SERR), now fully in effect, requires every gig platform - ride-share, food delivery, task-based services - to report transaction data directly to the ATO twice a year. The ATO knows exactly what a sole trader earned. The question is whether their deduction records match.

A delivery courier might drive 15,000 kilometres for work in a year. At the ATO's 2025-26 rate of 88 cents per kilometre, that's A$13,200 in vehicle expenses - fully deductible under ITAA 1997 s8-1. But without a contemporaneous log, the claim is difficult to substantiate. The same applies to phone and data costs, equipment, and the platform's own commission - all deductible, all commonly underdocumented.

"Your tax agent knows what you can claim," said Eric Van Lent, a US-licensed CPA who is building Eazy-C. "We make sure you can actually prove it."

WHAT EAZY-C DOES
Eazy-C connects to a sole trader's bank account, identifies platform income and business expenses throughout the year, and generates an organised, substantiated record - ready to hand to a registered tax agent at lodgement time, or to use when self-lodging via myTax.

The platform is set to launch in Australia alongside the United States in 2026. It is currently accepting early access registrations at https://eazy-c.com/. Early members receive three months free. Pricing from A$11.99/month inclusive of GST.

MEDIA CONTACT
Eric Van Lent, CPA
hello@eazy-c.com
https://eazy-c.com/

ABOUT EAZY-C
Eazy-C is an AI-powered tax record and deduction organisation platform for gig and platform workers, currently in development for a 2026 launch. Built by Eric Van Lent (CPA, California License #245211). Registered for GST in Australia (ARN: 3000 4091 2227). The platform is an organisational tool and does not constitute tax advice. Users should consult a registered tax agent before lodging.

This release was published on openPR.