Can I deduct expenses for a Home Gym for my YouTube Business?

Based on what you've described, you likely can deduct at least a portion of these expenses, but there are some important considerations. Since you already have an established YouTube business with proven income, these would not be "start-up expenses" but rather ordinary business expenses or capital expenditures depending on the nature and cost of each item. The key factor here is going to be the business purpose versus personal use. Equipment that's specifically for video production (lighting, cameras, microphones, backdrops) would typically be 100% deductible as business expenses. For the gym equipment itself, you'd need to determine a reasonable business-use percentage. Since you're creating fitness content, there's a legitimate business purpose, but there's also an inherent personal benefit. You should keep detailed records of when the equipment is used for business (filming, preparing for videos) versus personal use. This documentation will be crucial if you're ever audited. Many content creators reasonably claim 70-80% business use for similar situations, but your specific circumstances may vary. Also consider whether items need to be depreciated over time rather than deducted immediately, depending on cost and useful life of the equipment.

Been in almost your exact situation! After struggling with my taxes as my YouTube fitness channel grew, I found this AI tool called taxr.ai that literally saved me thousands in deductions I was missing. It analyzed all my gym equipment purchases and helped me properly categorize what was deductible and what wasn't. The thing with content creation businesses is that the IRS rules weren't really written with us in mind, so it gets confusing fast. I uploaded my receipts and expense records to https://taxr.ai and it identified that I could legitimately deduct about 80% of my gym equipment as business expenses because I was using them primarily for content creation. It also helped me document everything properly in case of an audit. What I liked most was that it gave me clarity on what portion of my home studio space qualified for home office deductions too, which gets complicated with mixed-use spaces like home gyms.

I was super skeptical about using AI for tax stuff, but after seeing people recommend https://taxr.ai here, I decided to try it for my photography business where I had similar mixed personal/business use questions. Turns out I was being WAY too conservative with my deductions! The system flagged that my camera equipment was 100% deductible (even though I occasionally use it for personal photos) because my primary purpose is professional. For my home studio space, it helped me properly document and calculate the exact percentage that was deductible. The best part was that it created a complete audit defense package with all my documentation organized by category. My accountant was actually impressed with how thorough it was and said it would save me if I ever got questioned by the IRS. For anyone with a content creation business, it's definitely worth checking out - saved me literally thousands in deductions I was too scared to take before.

After reading about your situation, I'm reminded of my own nightmare trying to get an answer from the IRS about home gym deductions for my personal training business. Spent DAYS trying to reach someone at the IRS - constant busy signals or disconnections after waiting for hours. Finally discovered this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual IRS agent in under 45 minutes. They have some technology that essentially waits on hold for you and calls when an agent is available. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent confirmed that I could deduct a percentage of my home gym equipment based on business use, and explained exactly how to document it. Saved me so much stress and probably kept me from making expensive mistakes on my return.

Ok I need to eat some crow here. After being completely skeptical about Claimyr, I decided to try it because I've been trying to resolve an issue with my stimulus payment for MONTHS with no success. I was shocked when they actually got me through to an IRS representative in about 35 minutes. The agent was able to see that there was an error in how my return was processed that was preventing my stimulus payment from being issued. For anyone who's trying to get specific answers about business deductions like the OP, this is actually worth trying. The IRS agent I spoke with walked me through exactly what documentation I needed for my situation and confirmed that my interpretation of the home office rules was correct. Still not cheap but honestly worth it when you consider the alternative is taking a day off work to sit on hold for hours. Sometimes you just need to hear directly from the IRS to confirm you're doing things right.

Just wanted to add that you might want to look into Section 179 deduction for this. I recently set up a home recording studio for my podcast and was able to deduct almost all of the equipment in the first year instead of depreciating it over time. For the gym equipment, the mixed-use nature makes it more complicated, but if you can document that the primary purpose is for your business, you should be able to deduct the business percentage. Like others have said, keep a detailed log of business vs personal use. Also, don't forget about related expenses - special flooring for the gym area, mirrors, additional electrical work, etc. These could all potentially be partially deductible as well.

I just came across this post - I'm literally in the same boat but with a home yoga studio for my wellness channel! My CPA told me to take pictures of the setup when it's in "business mode" with all the lighting and cameras, and then document EVERYTHING. She recommended creating a business plan that clearly outlines how this pivot to fitness content aligns with your overall business strategy. Having documentation that predates the purchases helps show business intent. One thing nobody mentioned - if you're forming a separate business entity for this new content direction, the rules might be different than if you're just expanding your existing business. Might be worth looking into!