Tax Deduction Checklist
Go down this list, check what applies, and hand it to your CPA. Over 50 deductions organized by category — no fluff, just the things you can actually write off.
Note: This checklist is not tax advice. It's a starting point. Verify every item with your CPA before filing — rules change, phaseouts happen, and your specific situation might disqualify you from things that look applicable at first glance.
Home Office
- Home office deduction (simplified method): $5 per square foot up to 300 sq ft — $1,500 max, no receipts needed. See the full home office guide.
- Home office deduction (regular method): Percentage of rent, mortgage interest, utilities, insurance, and repairs based on the share of your home used exclusively for business.
- Renters insurance (business portion): If your home office is 12% of your apartment, 12% of your renters insurance is deductible.
- Utilities (business portion): Electricity, gas, water, trash — the same percentage as your home office square footage applies.
- Home repairs (business portion): Fixing a leak in the home office? Fully deductible. Fixing the kitchen sink? Apply your home office percentage.
- Security system (business portion): If your home office has business equipment worth protecting, part of your security monitoring is deductible.
Vehicle & Travel
- Standard mileage rate: $0.655 per business mile in 2026 — just track date, miles, and purpose. Full breakdown in the vehicle mileage guide.
- Actual vehicle expenses: Gas, oil changes, tires, insurance, registration, depreciation — deduct the business-use percentage of everything.
- Parking and tolls: 100% deductible for business trips, whether or not you use the standard mileage rate.
- Car loan interest (business portion): The interest on your auto loan is deductible in proportion to business miles driven.
- Business travel (flights & hotels): Airfare, hotels, rental cars, and baggage fees for trips with a clear business purpose — fully deductible.
- Business meals: 50% deductible — client lunches, meals during business travel, even coffee with a prospect. Just note who you met and what was discussed.
- Rideshare & transit for business: Uber, Lyft, taxis, subway, and bus fares when traveling for work are fully deductible.
- Conference and trade show travel: Registration, travel, lodging, and meals at industry conferences all qualify.
Equipment & Supplies
- Computers and peripherals: Laptops, desktops, monitors, keyboards, mice — fully deductible via Section 179 or depreciated. See equipment depreciation for the tradeoffs.
- Office furniture: Desk, chair, shelves, filing cabinets — immediate write-off under Section 179.
- Software subscriptions: Adobe Creative Cloud, QuickBooks, Microsoft 365, Figma, Slack, Zoom, Dropbox — anything you pay monthly or annually for work.
- Phone (business portion): Your cell phone plan, prorated by business use — or 100% if you maintain a separate business line.
- Specialized tools and equipment: Cameras, power tools, kitchen equipment, salon supplies — anything purchased to do your specific work.
- Shipping and postage: Stamps, postage meters, FedEx/UPS for business mailings and product shipments.
Health & Insurance
- Self-employed health insurance premiums: Medical, dental, and long-term care premiums for you, your spouse, and dependents — 100% deductible above the line. Full detail in the health insurance deduction guide.
- Medicare premiums (self-employed): If you're 65+ and self-employed, Part B and Part D premiums are deductible on Schedule 1 the same as any other health insurance.
- HSA contributions: Tax-deductible contributions up to $4,150 (self-only) or $8,300 (family) in 2026 — triple tax-advantaged.
- Business insurance: General liability, professional liability (E&O), commercial property, workers' comp, cyber insurance — all fully deductible.
- Disability insurance (business-paid): Premiums for employee disability coverage are deductible; owner coverage treatment depends on entity type.
Professional Services
- Tax preparation fees (self-employed): Deductible on Schedule C for the portion related to your business — including software like TurboTax Self-Employed.
- Legal fees (business-related): Contract review, incorporation, trademark filing, defense of your business — deductible when directly tied to business activity.
- Bookkeeping and accounting: Monthly bookkeeper, CPA fees, payroll services — all deductible.
- Business consulting and coaching: Business coaches, fractional CFOs, marketing consultants — fees for professional advice are fully deductible.
Marketing & Advertising
- Website costs: Domain registration, hosting, SSL certificates, and ongoing maintenance — fully deductible.
- Online advertising: Google Ads, Facebook/Instagram ads, LinkedIn ads, YouTube ads — any paid promotion for your business.
- Printed marketing materials: Business cards, flyers, brochures, signage, banners for trade shows.
- Promotional products: Branded pens, t-shirts, tote bags given to clients or prospects.
- Client gifts: Up to $25 per person per year is deductible — branded or unbranded.
Education
- Professional development courses: Online courses, workshops, and certifications that maintain or improve your current business skills — fully deductible.
- Books and subscriptions: Industry journals, reference books, paywalled research databases used for your work.
- Professional memberships: Trade association dues, chamber of commerce, industry guilds — deductible as long as membership serves a business purpose.
- Conference and seminar fees: Registration fees for industry events — separate from travel costs, which are also deductible.
Office Expenses
- Internet (business portion): Your home internet plan, prorated by business use — or 100% if you have a separate business connection.
- Coworking space fees: WeWork, Regus, or local coworking memberships — fully deductible.
- Office supplies: Paper, pens, printer ink, envelopes, sticky notes — small costs that add up over a year.
- Cloud storage and backup: Google Drive, Dropbox, Backblaze, iCloud+ — if it stores your work files, it's deductible.
- Bank and payment processing fees: Monthly account fees, wire transfer fees, Stripe/PayPal/Square processing charges — all deductible.
- Subscriptions and memberships: LinkedIn Premium, industry data services, stock photo subscriptions used for work.
Retirement
- SEP IRA contributions: Up to 25% of net self-employment earnings, max $66,000 for 2026 — deductible above the line. See the retirement plan deductions guide.
- Solo 401(k) contributions: Employee deferral up to $23,500 ($31,000 if 50+) plus employer contribution up to 25% of compensation — total cap $70,000 ($77,500 if 50+).
- Traditional IRA contributions: Up to $7,000 ($8,000 if 50+) — deductibility depends on income and whether you're covered by a workplace plan.
- Employer retirement plan contributions: If you employ others, matching and profit-sharing contributions are deductible business expenses.
Rent & Property
- Commercial rent: Office, retail, warehouse, or storage unit rent — fully deductible.
- Property taxes (business property): Real estate taxes on business-owned property or the business portion of mixed-use property.
- Mortgage interest (rental properties): Fully deductible against rental income on Schedule E — see landlord tax deductions for the full list.
- Repairs and maintenance (rental): Fixing a leaking roof, repainting between tenants, replacing a broken appliance — deductible in the year incurred.
- Depreciation (rental property): Residential rentals depreciate over 27.5 years, commercial over 39 — a non-cash deduction that can be substantial.
- Property management fees: Fees paid to a property manager or leasing agent are fully deductible against rental income.
Common questions
Can I use this checklist if I'm a W-2 employee?
Most of the deductions here are for self-employed filers and business owners on Schedule C or Schedule E. W-2 employees have far fewer options — unreimbursed employee expenses were eliminated by the TCJA and won't return until at least 2026. The few employee-available deductions (like educator expenses and certain performing artist deductions) are noted where applicable. If you're a W-2 remote worker, check our remote worker guide for what applies.
Do I need receipts for everything on this checklist?
For any single expense over $75, yes — you need a receipt or equivalent documentation. For smaller items, a contemporaneous log or notation is sufficient, but having receipts for everything is the safest approach. Digital records are accepted by the IRS. For mileage, you need a contemporaneous log with dates, miles, and business purpose — no receipt needed, but the log is non-negotiable.
What if an item is used for both business and personal purposes?
You deduct the business-use percentage. If your phone is 70% business and 30% personal, you deduct 70% of the bill. If your car drove 12,000 business miles and 3,000 personal miles, 80% of vehicle costs are deductible. The IRS wants a reasonable, consistent method for calculating the split — so pick an approach and stick with it.
Can I combine the simplified and regular home office methods?
No — you pick one method per tax year. The simplified method is $5/sq ft up to $1,500 and requires no receipt tracking. The regular method uses actual expenses and often yields a larger deduction but requires more record-keeping. Most filers should calculate both and pick the larger number. You can switch methods year to year.