8 Unexpected Things You Can Write Off Come Tax Time

Medical bills
You’re not limited to whatever your health benefits cover, or your own private health insurance. Medical bills that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income can be written off, and this extends to dentist fees, prescriptions, even eye glasses.

The cost of making money
It’s not only business owners who spend money to make money! On the job search, you rack up a lot of expenses printing out those resumes and business cards, buying the printer that you print them on, postage, employment agency fees, public transportation, even clothes bought for job interviews. Any time you find yourself thinking, “I can’t believe I have to spend money on this when I’m not even making money!” pause and ask yourself—is this deductible?

Rent
This applies to anyone who works full or part time from their home. Many people don’t realize that they can write off a portion of their rent. Estimate what fraction of your home is used for work related activities. You can write off that fraction of your rent.

Other home expenses
In addition to your rent think about this: do you send work emails from home? Make work related calls? Enjoy the heat or AC while working on a project? Watch certain TV shows to do research for work? You can write off a fraction of all utilities like rent, cable, Internet and phone bills.

Gambling losses
Consider it another “cost of making money”! It’s just that this time, your “business venture” didn’t quite come through. Save your unlucky lottery tickets and casino receipts. Come tax time, you might get to feel a little better about that weekend in Vegas.

Child care
This is a BIG one that so many people, especially moms, overlook. If you have to seek out childcare because your job takes you away from your children, that is deductible. In fact, up to 35% of expenses on childcare for kids 12 and under is deductible. Make note though that the IRS’ definition of childcare is particular, so look it up on their rules page here before hiring a random student off Craigslist.

Non-cash charitable donations
You may not have written a fat check to a charity, but what about those 4 dozen cookies you baked for a fundraiser? Or supplies you bought for the Church carwash? Clothes donated? Gas used driving around town to do these things? All of these things have a value. Keep receipts or at least have an estimate in mind for the tricky things, like donation of 20 items of clothing.

Lunches
And coffees, and drinks and dinners. If you meet with someone over a meal or beverage to discuss a potential work collaboration, you can write those off. Again, don’t forget the gas spent to get there!