Recpt vs ATO myDeductions
Both keep receipt records for an Australian tax return, and neither one lodges it. The difference is who does the typing. Here is the honest split, and the receipt volume where it flips.
The short version
Use myDeductions if you have a handful of receipts a year and do not mind typing each one in. It is free, it is the ATO's own tool, and the records it keeps are an accepted form of evidence.
Use Recpt if receipts pile up faster than you will ever type them. You photograph the receipt, AI reads the vendor, amount and date, files it under an ATO deduction category, and at tax time you export one categorised summary for your accountant.
Neither one lodges your return. Both are record-keeping tools, so the choice is really about how much manual entry you are willing to do.
Side by side
| ATO myDeductions | Recpt | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free tier, paid plans for more scans and export |
| Reads the receipt for you | No, you type it | Yes, AI reads vendor, amount and date |
| Categories | You pick, every time | Suggested against ATO categories |
| Learns your regular vendors | No | Yes |
| Bank statement import | No | Yes, on the web app |
| Accountant export | Send records to your agent | One categorised PDF and CSV |
| Lodges your return | Feeds into myTax | No |
| Who it suits | Low receipt volume, happy to type | High receipt volume, wants it sorted |
Where myDeductions wins
It is free, it is official, and there is nothing to sign up for beyond myGov. At tax time the records can be pushed into your return or sent to your agent. If you are keeping a dozen receipts a year, that is hard to argue with.
Where it gets painful
Everything is manual. You photograph the receipt, then type the vendor, amount, date and category yourself, every time. There is no automatic reading of the receipt, no learning of your regular vendors, and getting the categories right is on you.
That is fine for a handful of receipts. At tradie volume it is the reason people stop. If logging a receipt takes more than a few seconds at the ute, it stops happening by August, and a record-keeping tool you abandoned in August is worth nothing in July.
What Recpt does differently
One job: you photograph the receipt, AI reads it, and it lands under the right ATO deduction category. Regular vendors are remembered, so the second Bunnings receipt needs less from you than the first. On the web app you can import a bank or card statement and pick the work-related lines out of it rather than hunting for paper you never kept.
At tax time it exports one categorised summary, PDF and CSV, which is the thing an accountant actually wants.
A note on thermal receipts
Bunnings, servo and hardware receipts fade to blank within months. Whichever tool you pick, photograph the receipt the day you get it. The ATO five-year record rule is about having a clear copy, and a faded original is not one.
Which should you pick
Count your receipts. Under about one a week and myDeductions is free and sufficient. Above that, the question becomes whether you will really keep typing them in, and most people honestly answer no. That gap is the entire reason Recpt exists.
You can also use both. Keep the records in Recpt through the year, then enter the totals at tax time through myGov or hand the export to your accountant.
Common questions
Is ATO myDeductions free?
Yes. myDeductions sits inside the ATO app and costs nothing beyond a myGov login. It is the ATO's own record-keeping tool, so records kept in it are an accepted form of evidence.
What is the difference between Recpt and myDeductions?
myDeductions is manual. You photograph a receipt, then type the vendor, amount, date and category yourself, every time. Recpt reads the receipt with AI and files it under an ATO deduction category for you, learns your regular vendors, and exports one categorised summary for an accountant.
Can I use both Recpt and myDeductions?
Yes. They are both record-keeping tools, not lodgment services. Some people keep receipts in Recpt through the year and enter the totals at tax time, whether that is through myGov or an accountant.
Does Recpt lodge my tax return?
No. Recpt is a record-keeping and categorisation tool and is not a registered tax agent. It organises your receipts and exports a summary. Lodging is still done by you through myGov or by your accountant.
Which is better for a tradie with a lot of receipts?
Volume is the deciding factor. At a handful of receipts a year, typing them into myDeductions is fine. At tradie volume, the manual entry is what makes people stop doing it by August, which is the problem Recpt was built for.
Recpt is a record-keeping tool, not a tax agent, and this page is general information, not tax advice. myDeductions details checked September 2026. The ATO changes its tools, so check ato.gov.au before deciding.