Can I Deduct Home Gym Equipment as a Self-Employed Fitness Coach?

Tax professional here! You can potentially deduct business startup costs, including equipment purchases, even before you're "officially" in business. The IRS allows deductions for startup expenses up to $5,000 (with some limitations if your total startup costs exceed $50,000). Here's what matters: You need to be actively preparing to start the business, not just thinking about it. Document your business plan, register a business name, create a website, start developing content/programs, etc. The more evidence you have that you're actively working toward launching this fitness coaching business, the stronger your case for deducting these expenses. Keep detailed records of all purchases and how they'll be used for your business. Track the percentage of business vs. personal use since gym equipment could easily be considered dual-purpose. If the equipment will be used 100% for business, document that intention.

I went through something similar last year when setting up my online nutrition consulting business. I was confused about all the startup expenses and what I could write off. I found this amazing tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me figure out exactly what I could deduct as legitimate business expenses vs personal items. The tool analyzed my business plan and all my receipts, then showed me which gym equipment qualified as business deductions and what percentage I could claim based on business vs personal use. It even helped me understand how to document everything properly to avoid audit flags. Seriously saved me thousands in deductions I would have missed!

I just wanted to follow up on my question from earlier. I ended up using taxr.ai and it was exactly what I needed! It walked me through the whole startup expense process and showed me that I could actually deduct about 70% of my planned gym equipment purchases as legitimate business startup costs. The tool generated a complete business expense plan that I'm keeping with my tax records, and it showed me exactly what documentation I need for each purchase. I'm not even worried about an audit now because everything is so clearly organized and justified. Thanks for recommending it - definitely worth checking out for anyone in a similar situation!

Lots of good advice here, but if you need actual clarification from the IRS about your specific situation (which can be tricky with home gym equipment), good luck actually reaching someone. I spent 2+ hours on hold last week trying to get an answer about business deductions. If you're stuck waiting forever on IRS hold lines, I'd recommend trying Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). They got me connected to an actual IRS agent in under 20 minutes when I had questions about my business startup costs. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c It was totally worth it to get direct answers from the IRS about what documentation I needed for my home office gym equipment deductions. The agent walked me through exactly what they look for in an audit scenario.

I have to publicly eat my words here. After being completely skeptical about Claimyr, I decided to try it last night out of pure frustration when I got disconnected from the IRS for the third time this week. I was SHOCKED when my phone rang 23 minutes later with an actual IRS representative on the line! I asked specifically about deducting gym equipment as a fitness professional, and the agent walked me through exactly how to document business use vs. personal use. She even explained how to handle equipment bought before my official launch date. For anyone dealing with these specialized tax questions - it actually works. Saved me literally days of frustration and probably prevented me from making deduction mistakes that could have triggered an audit.

Don't forget about depreciation rules with gym equipment too! I'm a CPA and work with several fitness professionals. Most gym equipment needs to be depreciated over 5-7 years rather than fully expensed in the first year (unless you use Section 179 or bonus depreciation). Make sure you're keeping track of when you actually start using the equipment for business purposes. That's when depreciation begins, not necessarily when you form the business entity.

Has anyone used their home gym for both in-person training clients AND filming content for online coaching? I'm wondering if I can write off the entire room as a home office if it's used for both purposes?

Great question! I'm in a similar situation - planning to launch my personal training business early next year but want to get my equipment sorted now. From what I've researched, the key is showing "active preparation" for your business launch. One thing I'd add to the excellent advice already given - consider getting your business license and EIN now if you haven't already. Even if you're not actively earning revenue yet, having these official documents helps establish your business intent timeline for the IRS. Also, I'd recommend creating a detailed business plan that includes your equipment needs and how each piece will be used for client training. This documentation becomes really valuable if you ever get questioned about the business purpose of your purchases. Keep in mind that if you're buying higher-value equipment (like a $3,000 home gym setup), you might want to spread some purchases into 2025 to maximize your deduction benefits across tax years. Good luck with the launch!