Business Owners Should Take Advantage of These Travel and Biz Deductions

As a business owner, I’m always looking into tax laws for any new credit and deductions that I’m able to claim. Plus the tax code could change each year, so that’s why it’s important to stay on top of your finances and know what you’re eligible for because you could see tax savings.

Some of the business expenses that you may be able to deduct for your business include:

• Training and licensing expenses
• Mileage or Actual Expenses for the business use of your car
• Marketing and advertising costs
• Travel, if you attend any out-of-town conventions, training sessions, or conferences
• Meals you pay for when meeting with clients for business purposes. Under IRS guidelines, you can deduct 50% of the cost of business-related meals.
• Home office, if you work out of your home. If you have a home office that represents 10% of the square footage in your home, you may be able to deduct 10% home costs like mortgage interest, property taxes, rent, and utilities.
• The purchase of office equipment, such as a dedicated business computer, printer, smartphone, or fax machine.
• Internet and cell phone expenses.

You may be looking for entertainment expenses in the list, however, entertainment expenses like treating your client to a sporting event were eliminated under The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 also also introduced or increased some business-related tax deductions you should know about.

20% Qualified Business Income Deduction

The 20% Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction is one of the biggest business-related tax changes under tax reform.

For the tax years, 2018 through 2025, the new 20% QBI deduction allows self-employed, S-Corps, and partnerships to deduct 20% of their qualified business income, which is income associated with business activity in the United States.

The Qualified Business Income Deduction is subject to a few limitations based on the type of income, type of trade or business you are in, and the amount of net income you earn, but in general, the deduction is available to eligible taxpayers whose 2022 taxable incomes fall below $340,100 for joint returns and $170,050  for other taxpayers.

If your income is above the $170,050/$340,100  taxable income thresholds, your 20% QBI deduction may be limited if your business is considered a service type business like the health, law, or accounting category to name a few. Any business where the principal asset is the reputation or skill of the owner is also included.

Equipment Deduction Amounts

If you buy equipment in the course of doing business, the maximum deduction for 2022 is $1,080,000 for business equipment like computers, printers, and office furniture. The amount you can deduct is still limited to the amount of income from business activity.

Depreciation Schedules for Automobiles

If you use a vehicle for business over 50% of the time you can deduct for depreciation of that automobile. The maximum amount you can deduct each year depends on the date you acquired the passenger automobile and the year you place the passenger automobile in service. For example, did you purchase a car for your business after September 27, 2017 and placed it in service during 2021?  The maximum depreciation deduction for 2021 is as follows: 

• $18,200 for the first year* 
• $16,400 for the second year,
• $9,800 for the third year, and
• $5,860 for the fourth year and later .

* $10,200 if the passenger automobile isn’t qualified property or if you elect not to claim the special depreciation allowance.

Don’t worry about knowing these tax rules. TurboTax Self-Employed finds industry-specific tax deductions you may not have even known were possible. You can also fully hand over your taxes to a TurboTax Live Full Service Self-Employed tax expert who specializes in self-employed taxes and can prepare your taxes from start to finish in one meeting. Incorporated business owners with multi-member LLCs, S-corps, and partnerships will be matched with and can fully hand their taxes off to a specialized tax expert experienced in the complexities of small business taxes. 

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