Small Business Tax Deduction Checklist
We receive a ton of questions regarding what is tax deductible. If the expense is associated with your business then it is most likely deductible. As a side note, many people are unaware that upon starting a new business, your personal assets that are now used in the new business may be deducted as an expense or as depreciation expense. Those personal assets have now been converted to from personal use to business use. They may be deducted at their fair market value at the time they were placed into service. Fair market value is typically defined as “garage sale” value. These assets may include computers, faxes, phones, copiers, printers, desks, chairs, tables, etc. The article that follows drills down further with a list of some common business tax deductions.
Mark Bradstreet
The not-so-good news? Every business needs to file taxes. The great news? There are many expenses you can apply to your income to help alleviate your tax burden. These deductions will reduce your profits, meaning that you will pay lower overall taxes. While the IRS does not specifically list what you can claim, they do state that if a cost you’ve incurred is “ordinary and necessary” to running your business, then you can deduct it.
We’ve created a checklist below of most of the deductions you can claim for your small business. As always, check with your accountant or tax preparer if you have any questions or need clarification. Note that some of the expenses listed below will need to be “depreciated” or expensed over several years. Speak to your tax preparer for more information.
Rent, Mortgage, and Utility Tax Deductions
These tax deductions include costs associated with renting a building for business, using part of your home as an office, utility bills, and other factors.
If you have a dedicated building for your office, you can deduct all of your business costs associated with the expenses your business incurs.
If you work from home, you can only deduct a proportion of your household bills, dependent upon the percentage of your home used for running your business.
The IRS also provides a simplified option for expensing home office costs.
Rent and Mortgage Expenses
Rent / leasing costs
Mortgage interest
Property tax, up to a certain amount
Utility Bills Expenses
Broadband
Mobile phone
Electricity
Gas
Water
Sewage
Trash collection
You cannot claim a telephone landline unless it is specifically dedicated to your business. You can claim a percentage of your mobile phone bill depending on how much you use your mobile phone for business.
Office Expenses and Tax Deductions
You can take additional deductions on money you spend for your business office.
Office Furniture Expenses
Desks, tables, and other work surfaces
Shelves, filing cabinets, and storage units
Office chairs
Other office furniture
Office Computer Expenses
Desktop computers
Laptop computers
Tablets
Monitors
Mice and keyboards
Printers
Office Software Expenses
Purchase of software applications and programs
Periodic subscription payments
Website hosting costs
Office Equipment Expenses
Specialized equipment not covered elsewhere
Office Supplies and Sundries Expenses
Packaging materials
Mailing and courier costs
Copier paper
Toner cartridges
Miscellaneous stationery like pens, pencils, staples, elastic bands, paperclips, etc.
Office Maintenance and Repairs Expenses
Property repairs on your office
Cleaning
Repairing equipment
Replacing lightbulbs and other consumables
Other repairs and maintenance
Employee Expenses and Tax Deductions
If you pay a salary to employees, then you can deduct some of those costs from your business revenue. Employee expenses and taxes can be complex, so we recommend speaking to an accountant or tax preparer to understand what you can deduct.
Salaries paid to employees
Medical premiums paid for employees like health or dental insurance
Benefits paid to employees like bonuses and other areas
Percentages of payroll or self-employment tax
Retirement contributions
Freelance, Contractor, and Professional Tax Deductions
You can claim costs for professional services like tax preparation or legal fees, and for paying freelancers or other contractors to complete work for your business.
Accountancy Expenses
Professional accounting fees
Tax preparation fees
Bookkeeping fees
Payroll preparation fees
Legal Expenses
Legal fees
Retainers
Freelance and Contractor Expenses
Contractor fees
Tradesman fees
Freelance work (e.g. graphic design, photography, writing)
Car and Vehicle Tax Deductions
If you use a vehicle in part or exclusively for your business, you can deduct those costs. You can either track everything individually, or use the IRS mileage rates.
Gasoline and fuel costs
Vehicle insurance costs
Vehicle repair and maintenance costs
Interest on a vehicle loan
Registration fees
Property tax for the vehicle
Lease and rental payments
Advertising and Marketing Tax Deductions
You can deduct any money you spend on promoting your business.
Marketing services and agencies
Online advertising like Google AdWords or social media paid ads
Media advertising like radio or TV ads
Offline advertising like billboards or newspaper ads
Sponsorships
Promotional design services
Travel and Accommodation Tax Deductions
If you travel or stay away from home for business, those costs are deductible.
Airfares
Train fares
Coach fares
Other fares
Hotel accommodation
Other travel costs
Meals when traveling for business, although this may be limited to 50% of the cost
Loan Interest and Bad Debt Tax Deductions
If you have taken out loans for your business, you can deduct the interest.
Automotive loan interest
Building loan interest
Equipment loan interest
Business credit card interest
Interest on other loans
Bad debts due to invoices that will not be paid
Education and Training Tax Deductions
When you provide training to yourself or your staff, those costs can be deducted.
Further classroom education
Online and virtual courses
One-to-one and one-to-many tutorials
Skills and vocational training
Other education and training costs
Payment and Bank Fee Tax Deductions
Your bank is likely to charge you for business services, and you’ll also pay a fee for accepting charge, credit, or debit cards.
Ongoing and one-off bank fees for business services
Incoming and outgoing wire transfer fees
Payment processing costs for accepting cards
Insurance Tax Deductions
You can deduct insurance premiums incurred by your business:
Public liability insurance premiums
Professional identity insurance premiums
Specialist insurance premiums
Qualified Business Income Tax Deductions
Depending on the type of business you run, and subject to certain limits, you can claim up to 20% of your profits as a tax deduction. Speak to your accountant about this, as it can be a complex area.
Miscellaneous Tax Deductions
Depending on the type of business you run, there are potentially dozens of other areas you can expense.
The cost to attend conferences, seminars, or trade shows
Membership fees for professional associations or publications
Specialist tools needed to do your work
Business licenses and fees
Trademarks and intellectual property costs
We hope you’ve found this small business tax deductions checklist useful. This list is not exhaustive, but it will give you a good starting point for your expenses. As always, talk to a professional tax preparer or accountant about your unique tax circumstances to ensure you’re claiming expenses correctly.
Credit given to Lisa Xiong and published on March 6, 2020.
Thank you for all of your questions, comments and suggestions for future topics. As always, they are much appreciated. We also welcome and appreciate anyone who wishes to write a Tax Tip of the Week for our consideration. We may be reached in our Dayton office at 937-436-3133 or in our Xenia office at 937-372-3504. Or, visit our website.
This Week’s Author, Mark Bradstreet, CPA
–until next week.