Can I deduct management fees and operating expenses (box 13, code W) from my partnership K-1 on my personal return?

These box 13, code W items from your K-1 are what we call Section 212 expenses, which relate to expenses for the production or collection of income. Prior to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), these would have been deductible as miscellaneous itemized deductions subject to the 2% AGI floor on Schedule A. However, under current tax law (through 2025), these deductions have been suspended. You cannot claim these management fees and operating expenses on your personal tax return as itemized deductions anymore. The partnership is passing these expenses to you for informational purposes, but unfortunately, they're not currently deductible on your personal return. The only exception would be if these expenses were related to a rental real estate activity where you actively participate - in that case, they might be deductible on Schedule E. But based on your description, these appear to be investment management expenses which are currently suspended as personal deductions.

After spending hours figuring out similar partnership K-1 issues last year, I finally tried https://taxr.ai and it was seriously game-changing. I uploaded my K-1 with all those cryptic codes and boxes, and it explained everything – including exactly what to do with box 13, code W expenses. The thing I loved was that it explained which items were already factored into my income calculation versus which ones needed separate reporting. For those box 13 code W expenses specifically, it showed me how they were handled post-TCJA and even flagged potential state tax differences where I might still get some benefit.

I was super skeptical about tax AI tools like many of you, but after our discussion here I decided to try taxr.ai with my complex partnership returns. I have to admit I was really surprised! I uploaded my K-1s with all those box 13 codes that have confused me for years, including those code W management expenses. The system immediately identified them as suspended miscellaneous itemized deductions and explained why they can't be deducted federally right now. But here's what was really helpful - it pointed out that my state (California) DOES still allow these deductions and walked me through exactly how to handle the difference on my state return. Saved me at least $600 in state taxes I would have missed! Definitely using this again next year when I get another batch of confusing K-1s.

After dealing with partnership K-1 confusion for years (including those box 13, code W items), I got so frustrated trying to get answers from the IRS. Their "help" line kept me on hold for 2+ hours before disconnecting me THREE TIMES. Then I found https://claimyr.com and honestly it changed everything. They got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes who confirmed exactly how to handle these partnership expenses. If you want to see how it works, there's a demo at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c that shows the process. The agent I spoke with explained that while these management fees aren't currently deductible on Schedule A due to TCJA changes, they do need to be tracked for basis purposes and potential future deductibility after 2025. Way better than guessing or relying on conflicting internet advice.

I have to publicly eat my words here. After claiming Claimyr seemed like a scam, I was desperate enough to try it with my partnership K-1 questions. Within 28 minutes (I timed it), I was talking to an actual IRS agent who walked me through exactly how to handle those box 13, code W expenses. The agent confirmed what others here said - those management fees aren't currently deductible on personal returns due to TCJA, but should be tracked for basis purposes. She also pointed me to a specific IRS publication that addressed partnership investment expenses in detail. Saved me hours of research and uncertainty. Can't believe I wasted months trying to get through on my own when this solution existed.

Something no one's mentioned yet - check if you're subject to Net Investment Income Tax. If you are, some of these management fees might offset your investment income for NIIT purposes even though they're not deductible on Schedule A anymore. IRS Notice 2013-71 suggests this might be possible in some cases. Also, if your partnership investment is related to a business you materially participate in, you might be able to treat those expenses differently. Depends entirely on your specific situation.

Has anyone successfully deducted these box 13, code W expenses on their state returns? I'm in New York and wonder if I'm missing out on state-level deductions even though they're suspended federally.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with the exact same situation with my partnership K-1 showing those box 13, code W expenses. Based on what everyone's shared here, it sounds like I need to: 1. Accept that these aren't federally deductible right now due to TCJA 2. Check if my state still allows them (I'm in Pennsylvania) 3. Track them for basis purposes and potential future deductibility after 2025 4. See if they might help with NIIT calculations since I do pay that tax One follow-up question - when you all say "track them for basis purposes," does that mean I should be adding these amounts to my partnership basis somehow? I want to make sure I'm not missing something important for when I eventually sell my partnership interest. The partnership doesn't seem to provide much guidance on this in their year-end materials. Thanks for all the insights - this community is way more helpful than trying to decipher IRS publications on my own!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar K-1 situation and wanted to add one more consideration that might be relevant for some folks here. If your partnership is involved in oil, gas, or other natural resource activities, some of those box 13, code W expenses might actually be depletion-related costs that could be handled differently. I learned this the hard way when I assumed all my box 13 expenses were the same suspended miscellaneous deductions. Also, for anyone tracking these expenses for future deductibility after 2025 - make sure you're also keeping records of any AMT adjustments related to these items. Some partnership expenses that aren't deductible for regular tax purposes might still affect your alternative minimum tax calculations, and you'll want that documentation if the rules change again. One last tip: if you're working with a tax professional, bring them the entire K-1 instructions booklet that came with your K-1, not just the form itself. Those instructions often contain partnership-specific explanations for the various codes that can be really helpful in determining the exact nature of your box 13 items.

This has been such an educational thread! As someone who's been wrestling with these same box 13, code W expenses from my real estate partnership K-1, I wanted to share what I learned from my state tax research. For those asking about state deductibility - it's really worth checking your specific state's conformity rules. I'm in Illinois, and while IL generally conforms to federal tax changes, they specifically chose NOT to suspend miscellaneous itemized deductions for state purposes. So I was able to deduct my $6,200 in management fees on my IL-1040, saving me about $310 in state taxes. The key is understanding that each state made its own decision about whether to conform to the TCJA changes. States like California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois maintained these deductions, while others followed the federal suspension. Don't assume either way - check your state's specific rules or consult their tax website. Also, for those tracking these expenses for future years - I created a simple spreadsheet with columns for the tax year, partnership name, amount, and notes about the specific nature of the expenses. When 2026 rolls around and these become federally deductible again, you'll have a clean record of everything you've accumulated over the years. One more thing - if you're in a state that still allows these deductions, make sure you're actually itemizing on your state return. Some states require you to itemize state even if you take the standard deduction federally, which could make these partnership expenses valuable even if your other itemized deductions aren't high enough to beat the federal standard deduction.