Can I deduct gasoline expenses on my tax return?

Question

I've heard that I'm able to deduct gas expenses, car repair, clothes I use for work and meals while at work. I'm under the impression this is only possible if I own a business. How much of this is correct?

Answer 1

You heard wrong.

Mileage while at work may be deductible but mileage to and from work is not.

Clothing may be deductible if it is something that you couldn't wear somewhere else (ie. Police or Nurse uniform). On the flip side, if your work requires that you wear a tie, it still isn't deductible as you could wear it somewhere else.

Personal meals while at work are not deductible at all.

Answer 2

If you own your own business and these are expenses necessary for running your business, you could claim them as expenses on your schedule C. For car expenses like gas and repairs, you have a choice of deducting a fixed mileage rate or actual expenses. Clothes could only be deducted if they aren't suitable for everyday wear - things like uniforms with your company's name on them could be deducted. Meals while at work - no - but part of it might be if you are taking customers out to eat.

If you don't own your own business, but spend money for things like you mention as part of doing your job but aren't reimbursed for it, then you might be able to take some of these same expenses but subject to some limitations. Note that commuting expenses, the cost of getting back and forth from your home to your job, can't be deducted.

Answer 3

It depends on the type of job that you have. Are you a sales rep? Delivery person, construction worker, etc. Are these non-reimbursed business expenses and will they pass the mustard so to speak.

You must pass the test for any such expense to apply and even when they do, you must exceed a certain ceiling for the deduction to be effective.

Answer 4

to comprehend you will desire to examine Pub 463 relating to the typical Mileage value and easily automobile expenditures, web site 15, sixteen. A/ she will deduct her workers corporation rate on style 2106 and schedule A. B/ If she replace right into a self-employed, she will deduct those expenditures on schedule C C/ On style 2106, you will see line 7 for compensation from corporation. persist with the training of the style, line 10 is the consequence so you might head into on line 21 of schedule A. Now seem on line 21 of schedule A, this volume would desire to be over 2% of her AGI = a million,500 and line 29 of schedule A would desire to be over her typical deduction on line 40 of 1040. If no longer, it would not make experience for her to declare, except she has yet another deduction alongside with, loan fee, Charity, State earnings Tax, scientific rate.... and so on... D/ For this question, you will desire to be sure pub 463 as I certainly have mentioned in the previous, for typical mileage, the 6,000 is her deduction, and if she chosen typical Mileage, she would desire to no longer declare the gas, coverage or maintenance. she will replace to easily expenditures after this 3 hundred and sixty 5 days. For claiming those expenditures, she has to chosen easily expenditures, and she or he will use depreciation. yet undergo in strategies, as quickly as she chosen the easily rate, she has to apply it to later 3 hundred and sixty 5 days, she would desire to no longer replace to typical Mileage, via fact she has taken the depreciation.

Answer 5

If you were self-employed or if employed, were not reimbursed for these expense by your employer.

And clothes must be uniforms necessary for work, not necessarily suits and dresses that you would buy anyway, and/or the cleaning of these uniforms/clothes.

Answer 6

You may be able to, but there are a lot of limitations that make it difficult. SEE http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc514.html

Answer 7

heck yes!! You can totally deduct that!