# what can be tax deductible?



## Urbanappalachian (Dec 11, 2016)

So anything I buy are tax deductible or must they be relating to my work? Let's say I bought new clothes, do I keep the receipts so it can be tax deducted? Is this how this works? Do I keep gasoline receipts as well although I don't see any taxes on them? What about groceries? Are those tax deductible too?


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## Disgusted Driver (Jan 9, 2015)

Mostly no, no and no. Why don't you do a search on this site, much has already been written about this and the standard deduction for mileage.


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## Older Chauffeur (Oct 16, 2014)

Disgusted Driver said:


> Mostly no, no and no. Why don't you do a search on this site, much has already been written about this and the standard deduction for mileage.


 Excellent suggestion! I would add that if one is asking questions of this type professional tax help would be good, at least for the first time around.


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## Urbanappalachian (Dec 11, 2016)

OK. Does it actually cost about $150 to get my taxes filed "professionally"? I've always done it on my own using those "free" online tax programs?

does a printout of my bank statement what I spent money on qualify as "receipt" and can be used as proof for my tax deductibles?


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## UberTaxPro (Oct 3, 2014)

Urbanappalachian said:


> OK. Does it actually cost about $150 to get my taxes filed "professionally"? I've always done it on my own using those "free" online tax programs?
> 
> does a printout of my bank statement what I spent money on qualify as "receipt" and can be used as proof for my tax deductibles?


Yes, a fairly simple tax return could cost $150 or so. Yes, a checking account is actually a good "poor man's" bookkeeping system.


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## Urbanappalachian (Dec 11, 2016)

I don't get why some people had to keep thousands of receipts that's thick when it can be in 1 spreadsheet, all digital (and can be printed out if needed).

Since I worked with Uber and Lyft does that mean I need to file 2 taxes so if it's $150 per, do I end up paying $300 then? I knew someone who worked 2 jobs before (Pizza Hut and Dominos) and ended up having 2 W2 forms and was charged as having to file 2 taxes. Which I think was a ripoff considering one can consolidate both as 1 taxes filed.



UberTaxPro said:


> Yes, a fairly simple tax return could cost $150 or so. Yes, a checking account is actually a good "poor man's" bookkeeping system.


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## UberTaxPro (Oct 3, 2014)

Urbanappalachian said:


> I don't get why some people had to keep thousands of receipts that's thick when it can be in 1 spreadsheet, all digital (and can be printed out if needed).
> 
> Since I worked with Uber and Lyft does that mean I need to file 2 taxes so if it's $150 per, do I end up paying $300 then? I knew someone who worked 2 jobs before (Pizza Hut and Dominos) and ended up having 2 W2 forms and was charged as having to file 2 taxes. Which I think was a ripoff considering one can consolidate both as 1 taxes filed.


Shouldn't have to pay double, that would be a ripoff!


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

Urbanappalachian said:


> So anything I buy are tax deductible or must they be relating to my work? Let's say I bought new clothes, do I keep the receipts so it can be tax deducted? Is this how this works? Do I keep gasoline receipts as well although I don't see any taxes on them? What about groceries? Are those tax deductible too?


In most states you get an "allowance" or norm for sales tax spending compared to your reported income. Now if you want to save every single receipt from every single purchase then you can, but I'll give you a little hint. If you don't make a 7 figure income then I think the standard deduction will suffice for you.


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## chemicalart (Feb 3, 2018)

Quikbooks is my friend. It ends up being 150 a year and in practice the deductions it gives isn't that far off from my own tax deductions.

However my tax deductions are back of the napkin math while quikbooks provides a legitimate log of everything.

I have several small businesses and several month investments / interest that I need to report. They, too need a bit more exacting math then the numbers I would have to guess

If you are going to lie through your teeth anyway, don't use tax software I guess. If you take pictures of everything you don't need it either. But if you are in the middle paid software can be worth it.


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## UberTaxPro (Oct 3, 2014)

chemicalart said:


> Quikbooks is my friend. It ends up being 150 a year and in practice the deductions it gives isn't that far off from my own tax deductions.
> 
> However my tax deductions are back of the napkin math while quikbooks provides a legitimate log of everything.
> 
> ...


Do you use quickbooks online or desktop?


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## chemicalart (Feb 3, 2018)

UberTaxPro said:


> Do you use quickbooks online or desktop?


I have quickbooks self employed on my phone which takes care of milage tracking. Every week or so I review the logs and sort between business and personal.

It is about 50/50 about whether I input other business expenses in the app or on my desktop but I do like how I got the choice. I use the desktop most about every quarter as I judge how much I should pay in quarterly taxes.


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## Matty760 (Nov 9, 2015)

97% of drivers do not and won't use deductions for gas and clothes and meals etc. the standard mileage rate will suffice and is actually generous considering what most people drive. IRS gives 54 cents a mile. so for every mile you drive you get to write off 54 cents bad areas Like LA after uber commission is like 80-90 cents a mile net. So lets just say you make 90 cents a mile from uber after their take, the IRS lets you write off 54 cents of that which means the other 36 cents is your taxable income for the IRS. 

If you deduct everything from gas to car washes to oil changes and etc then you can do that but more than likely you have to drive a lot and have a lot of expenses to do better than the standard deduction from the IRS. Its also not worth it to most people anyways saving all those receipts and etc. Clothes dont count as a deduction. Meals dont count either since a human will always have to eat but isn't required for driving and groceries are not deductible too as they are not needed for driving passengers. Some people buy gum and water for pax which you could deduct but honestly those costs are very low and wouldn't amount to much at all. Gas, maintenance, and even car payments can be deducted. hope this info helps


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## UberTaxPro (Oct 3, 2014)

Matty760 said:


> 97% of drivers do not and won't use deductions for gas and clothes and meals etc. the standard mileage rate will suffice and is actually generous considering what most people drive. IRS gives 54 cents a mile. so for every mile you drive you get to write off 54 cents bad areas Like LA after uber commission is like 80-90 cents a mile net. So lets just say you make 90 cents a mile from uber after their take, the IRS lets you write off 54 cents of that which means the other 36 cents is your taxable income for the IRS.
> 
> If you deduct everything from gas to car washes to oil changes and etc then you can do that but more than likely you have to drive a lot and have a lot of expenses to do better than the standard deduction from the IRS. Its also not worth it to most people anyways saving all those receipts and etc. Clothes dont count as a deduction. Meals dont count either since a human will always have to eat but isn't required for driving and groceries are not deductible too as they are not needed for driving passengers. Some people buy gum and water for pax which you could deduct but honestly those costs are very low and wouldn't amount to much at all. Gas, maintenance, and even car payments can be deducted. hope this info helps


Car payments (loan payments) are not deductible. Vehicles should be depreciated. About .23 cents of the standard mileage rate is allocated to depreciation.


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## Urbanappalachian (Dec 11, 2016)

Are traffic tickets tax deductible?


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

Urbanappalachian said:


> So anything I buy are tax deductible or must they be relating to my work? Let's say I bought new clothes, do I keep the receipts so it can be tax deducted? Is this how this works? Do I keep gasoline receipts as well although I don't see any taxes on them? What about groceries? Are those tax deductible too?


Go to IRS.gov and read.

No. Maybe, but mileage is usually better and easier. Are you tracking mileage? You need to, regardless.

No.


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## Uber Crack (Jul 19, 2017)

Fuzzyelvis said:


> Go to IRS.gov and read.
> 
> No. Maybe, but mileage is usually better and easier. Are you tracking mileage? You need to, regardless.
> 
> No.


I was wondering... Since uber tells us our mileage online this year, is there any additional benefit to tracking miles anymore? I have many more miles on my stride mileage tracker than uber has shown. May I add these miles? Thanks for the help.


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

Uber Crack said:


> I was wondering... Since uber tells us our mileage online this year, is there any additional benefit to tracking miles anymore? I have many more miles on my stride mileage tracker than uber has shown. May I add these miles? Thanks for the help.


With the way uber changes it's mind...

I would still keep a log. Who knows what documentation they will give you by january 2019.

It might be a 1099 from the bankruptcy attorney that seized all ubers servers on behalf of the shareholders..

you just don't know yet.


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## Urbanappalachian (Dec 11, 2016)

uber has shareholders? it's not even in the stock market AFAIK.

So the electronic drum kit I bought is NOT tax deductible? How about my XM radio?



Fuzzyelvis said:


> Go to IRS.gov and read.
> 
> No. Maybe, but mileage is usually better and easier. Are you tracking mileage? You need to, regardless.
> 
> No.


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## wk1102 (Dec 25, 2015)

Urbanappalachian said:


> How about my XM radio?


Yes


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

Urbanappalachian said:


> uber has shareholders? it's not even in the stock market AFAIK.


Uber has a lot of stockholders, it's just not a publically traded company.



Urbanappalachian said:


> So the electronic drum kit I bought is NOT tax deductible? How about my XM radio?


The drum kit is a no, unless you are a musician but XM radio service in your car IS deductible. Just like satellite TV would be deductible for a bar/restaurant.


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## Uber's Guber (Oct 22, 2017)

Urbanappalachian said:


> So anything I buy are tax deductible or must they be relating to my work? Let's say I bought new clothes, do I keep the receipts so it can be tax deducted?


No to purchasing clothes, unless they can be work-related proven. For example, you purchased steel-toed boots because you wear them to kick drunks out of your vehicle.


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## Uber Duber Chick (Jun 29, 2017)

Urbanappalachian said:


> Are traffic tickets tax deductible?


Are you serious?


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