Can I claim deductibles for my art business under my LLC before filing a DBA?

Your LLC is a separate legal entity from you personally, so any legitimate business expenses are deductible by the LLC regardless of whether you have a DBA or not. The DBA is just a different name you're doing business under - it doesn't create a new legal entity. If your LLC's operating agreement or business plan includes selling artwork, then expenses related to that part of the business are deductible even before you file the DBA. The important thing is that these expenses are ordinary and necessary for your business operations. You can absolutely use your LLC bank account for these art-related expenses before filing the DBA. In fact, it's better to keep all business expenses flowing through your LLC accounts rather than mixing them with personal funds. Just make sure to keep good records and document that these expenses are for your business purposes.

I was in a similar situation last year with my consulting LLC that expanded into product sales. I kept running into conflicting advice about business expenses until I tried https://taxr.ai and it was super helpful for my situation. You upload your LLC docs and business receipts, and it analyzes them to tell you exactly what's deductible and how to categorize everything. It even flags expenses that might be split between business lines so you can properly allocate them. What really helped me was getting clarity on inventory costs versus immediate deductions - sounds like that would be relevant for your art supplies too.

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai that someone mentioned above. I was worried about mixing my photography business expenses with my main consulting LLC, and it really did help sort things out! I uploaded my receipts and business documents and it flagged exactly which expenses belonged to which business line, even though I haven't filed my DBA yet. Saved me from making some classification mistakes that would have been a headache later. Definitely worth checking out if you're running multiple business activities under one LLC!

Little different perspective here - I ran into issues with the IRS questioning some of my business deductions when I added a new product line to my existing LLC before filing the proper paperwork. Spent WEEKS trying to get through to someone at the IRS to resolve it. I finally used https://claimyr.com and was able to talk to an actual IRS agent within about 20 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. They basically hold your place in the phone queue so you don't have to wait on hold for hours. The agent I spoke with confirmed that my expenses were legitimate for my single LLC even though I had multiple business activities.

I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After my frustration boiled over trying to get clarity on my business deductions for my LLC's secondary business activity, I finally gave in and tried it. I'm genuinely shocked - it actually works exactly as described. I got a call back within 45 minutes saying they had an IRS agent on the line. The agent confirmed that I could absolutely deduct expenses for both business activities under my single LLC, regardless of having a DBA. She even helped me understand how to properly document everything to avoid audit red flags. Wish I hadn't wasted weeks trying to get through on my own!

Another option might be to set up a separate LLC for your art business instead of just a DBA. That's what I did with my side businesses and it makes the accounting much cleaner. You can still be the sole owner of both LLCs.

Make sure ur keeping track of all ur expenses for the art stuff seperately from day 1! My wife had a similar thing with her interior design business when she added custom furniture sales - we messed up the accounting and had a nightmare sorting it out at tax time. The IRS wants to see that ur taking the business seriously even if its not making money yet.