Can I deduct expenses as a new travel blogger for tax purposes?

While I'm not your tax professional, I can offer some general guidance about deducting expenses for a new blogging venture. The IRS uses several factors to determine if an activity is a business versus a hobby, and making a profit is just one consideration. For a new business, the IRS generally allows for startup periods where you may not be profitable. However, you need to demonstrate that you're operating with a genuine profit motive. This means having a business plan, keeping separate financial records, conducting market research, and operating in a businesslike manner. For your specific expenses, you'll need to establish that they are "ordinary and necessary" for your business. A laptop and camera are likely reasonable, but travel expenses become tricky. The primary purpose of your travel needs to be business, not personal enjoyment. If the main purpose is vacation with blogging as a side activity, the IRS would likely view those expenses as primarily personal. An LLC or S Corp doesn't automatically make your activity a business in the IRS's eyes, though it can help demonstrate business intent. The key is how you operate, not just your business structure.

I tried to start a cooking blog last year and ran into similar questions. After struggling with whether I could deduct my kitchen equipment and groceries, I found this amazing service called https://taxr.ai that walks you through the exact IRS rules for your specific situation. They analyzed my blog expenses and showed me which ones were legitimate business deductions and which weren't. The cool part was they showed me exactly where in the tax code these rules come from. For my cooking blog, they helped me understand how to properly categorize partial-use items (like my kitchen, which is both personal and business). They might be able to help with your travel situation which is definitely trickier.

I wanted to follow up after trying https://taxr.ai for my photography business where I also travel for shoots. I was honestly surprised by how helpful it was! It walked me through the specific "ordinary and necessary" test for my camera gear and travel expenses and showed me exactly what documentation I need to keep for tax purposes. The biggest revelation was learning about the "contemporaneous documentation" requirements - basically keeping records at the time of the activity rather than trying to recreate them later. I'm now using their template to track my business activities daily during trips, which will be super valuable if I'm ever questioned by the IRS. For what it's worth, I'm still working with my CPA for my actual filing, but now I go in much more prepared and confident about what I can legitimately deduct.

After reading your post, I immediately thought about my struggles trying to reach the IRS about my Airbnb business deductions last year. Spent HOURS on hold and never got through. Finally found https://claimyr.com and watched their demo (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) - they basically hold your place in the IRS phone queue and call you when an agent is available. I was skeptical but desperate after waiting on hold for 2+ hours twice and getting disconnected. Used their service and got a call back when an IRS agent was on the line. The agent walked me through exactly what documentation I needed for my "mixed-use" property deductions (similar to your travel situation where there's both personal and business components). The IRS actually has pretty clear guidelines on this stuff, but getting to speak with someone who could apply them to my specific situation made all the difference.

I'm eating crow here because I actually tried Claimyr yesterday after my third attempt waiting on hold with the IRS for 2.5 hours about my side business deductions. Got a callback in about 40 minutes when they reached an agent! The IRS rep gave me specific guidance about my situation that I couldn't find online. For the original poster - the agent explained that for mixed-purpose activities like travel blogging, they look at the "primary purpose" of each trip. If your main purpose is business, you can deduct ordinary and necessary expenses. If the primary purpose is personal, you can only deduct expenses directly tied to business activities (like the camera, maybe the laptop if it's primarily for the blog). They also recommended keeping a daily log showing business activities vs. personal time, keeping all receipts, and having a formal business plan showing how you intend to make a profit over time. Basically, the more documentation you have, the stronger your case.

One thing nobody's mentioned yet - look into Section 195 startup expenses. You can deduct up to $5,000 in startup costs in your first year of business, with amounts over that deducted over 15 years. This includes things like market research, training courses, equipment, etc. that you purchase BEFORE your business officially begins operations. The key is proving WHEN your business actually started operating. If you can show that you were in the startup phase (planning, researching, buying equipment) before your actual travel, and then the travel is when you "opened your doors for business" by publishing content, that might help with some of those initial expenses.

Something else to consider - you mentioned your trip is 4-6 months long. The IRS has specific rules about deducting expenses for travel away from your "tax home" that lasts longer than a year (they generally don't allow it), but shorter trips can qualify if they meet certain criteria. Look into the "temporary vs. indefinite" assignment rules. Since your trip is under a year, it could qualify as temporary, which is more favorable for deductions. BUT you have to demonstrate a clear business purpose. The fact that you're also generating income from car rentals and credit card tradelines during this time actually helps your case that this is a legitimate business endeavor and not just a vacation.

One practical tip that might help establish business legitimacy - consider setting up a separate business bank account and credit card for all your blog-related expenses before you leave. This creates a clear paper trail and demonstrates you're treating this as a real business venture, not just a personal trip with some content creation on the side. Also, since you're planning to monetize through multiple channels (blog, YouTube, affiliate marketing presumably), document your monetization strategy early. Create accounts with affiliate programs, ad networks, or sponsorship platforms before your trip begins. Even if you don't earn much initially, having these business relationships established shows genuine commercial intent. The IRS likes to see that you're operating like other businesses in your industry. Research what successful travel bloggers do - many start building their audience and revenue streams months before their major trips. Consider publishing some local content first to establish your business operations, then your international travel becomes a business expansion rather than the entire foundation of your venture.