# N00b deduction question...



## AVLien (Mar 4, 2017)

*Can I deduct vehicle upgrades? What have you successfully, or unsuccessfully, deducted?

The reason I ask:* I drive for Uber Select (hypothetically, I haven't received a single ping for Select service yet) & I drive an older car (2008 Acura TL). It has navigation, but it is proprietary Acura navigation, which is just atrocious. I desperately want to upgrade to an Android Auto/CarPlay unit, but I don't want to just toss money at this thing since I am just getting started. I use the car 99% for Uber (the 1% is running to the market, etc) & purchased it solely for this purpose.

The replacement of the stock navigation will likely be expensive, since the entire dashboard will have to be reconfigured & there are lots of technical pitfalls. I am a PC tech (coming up on 30 years), but I don't know car electronics well enough to feel comfortable doing the upgrade myself. If I can pad the cost of the upgrade with a deduction, I'll do it. Otherwise I'll probably hold off for a while.

On a (somewhat) related note, I was wondering if anyone knows the feasibility of deducting the cost of a dash-cam or any other nonpermanent upgrades (dedicated navigation, etc).

Thanks in advance!

P.S.: Yes, *I realize that most of the forum members are not certified public accountants.* Thanks for the input all the same!


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## Mars Troll Number 4 (Oct 30, 2015)

08 is too old to be spending lots of money modding, if you ask me.

But YES you can deduct ALL of it. Do two cameras, one above the rear view mirror facing in and one set up as a dash camera.

My recommendation is to just mount a GPS nav or even just a cell phone mount left of your steering wheel and tape down the wire with something that will clean off easy with goo gone. You want it left of the steering wheel so no one steals it... seriously i wish that wasn't the case but it is.


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## UberTaxPro (Oct 3, 2014)

AVLien said:


> *Can I deduct vehicle upgrades? What have you successfully, or unsuccessfully, deducted?
> 
> The reason I ask:* I drive for Uber Select (hypothetically, I haven't received a single ping for Select service yet) & I drive an older car (2008 Acura TL). It has navigation, but it is proprietary Acura navigation, which is just atrocious. I desperately want to upgrade to an Android Auto/CarPlay unit, but I don't want to just toss money at this thing since I am just getting started. I use the car 99% for Uber (the 1% is running to the market, etc) & purchased it solely for this purpose.
> 
> ...


The non-permanent upgrades would be deductible. Upgrading anything "stock" would be a vehicle upgrade and would be added to the "basis" of your vehicle. Without anything else considered the non-permanent route would be best from a tax perspective.


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## Mars Troll Number 4 (Oct 30, 2015)

UberTaxPro said:


> The non-permanent upgrades would be deductible. Upgrading anything "stock" would be a vehicle upgrade and would be added to the "basis" of your vehicle. Without anything else considered the non-permanent route would be best from a tax perspective.


I might be wrong about the permanent upgrade beding deductible now that i think about it, but a GPS unit and the dash cams would be deductible for sure.


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## AVLien (Mar 4, 2017)

Mears Troll Number 4 : the only permanent thing I really want to put in is an Android Auto head unit. It just bugs me having a big useless screen in the dash. Like bringing a knife to a gunfight...or rather an 8-bit NES to a LAN party.



Mears Troll Number 4 said:


> You want it left of the steering wheel so no one steals it... seriously i wish that wasn't the case but it is.


Heard...but I'm in the mountains now. I used to live in Baltimore & spent a bit of time in Raleigh/Durham. If anyone here takes anything from my ride I'll make them work for it.  Good looking out though.


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