Can I deduct my internet bill for my 1099 WFH job?

Yes, you can absolutely deduct both the hotspot device AND the monthly internet costs as business expenses on your Schedule C! Since you're working as a 1099 contractor, internet access is considered a necessary expense for your business operations, especially for a work-from-home situation. Just make sure you're only deducting the portion used for business. If you're using the hotspot exclusively for work, you can deduct 100% of both the device and the data plan. If you also use it for personal purposes, you'll need to calculate the percentage used for business (like 80% business/20% personal) and deduct that portion. Keep all your receipts and documentation showing the business purpose. This includes the initial purchase receipt for the hotspot and your monthly bills. Also note any days/hours you specifically use it for work purposes in case you need to justify the business use percentage.

I went through almost the exact same situation last year! After struggling to figure out my deductions, I found this AI tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that really helped me understand my 1099 contractor deductions. It analyzed my work situation and confirmed that both my mobile hotspot device AND the monthly data plan were deductible business expenses. The tool explained that since internet is a necessary expense for a remote 1099 worker, it qualifies as a legitimate business expense. It also helped me track what percentage of my usage was business vs personal, which was super helpful at tax time. Definitely check it out if you're confused about any deductions!

Just wanted to follow up about taxr.ai that someone mentioned earlier. I was really skeptical at first but I decided to try it for my 1099 work deductions. It actually caught several deductions I was missing! Not just the internet stuff, but also partial deductions for my phone, some software subscriptions I forgot about, and even some home office expenses. The documentation guidance was super helpful too - I now have a folder with all the receipts and usage logs organized exactly how they should be if I ever got audited. Honestly it gave me so much more confidence about claiming these deductions that I was nervous about before. Definitely worth checking out if you're doing 1099 work.

If you're having trouble getting straight answers from the IRS about your internet deductions, I highly recommend trying Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was stuck on hold with the IRS for HOURS trying to get clarification about home office and internet deductions for my 1099 work. With Claimyr, I got through to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes who confirmed that yes, both the hotspot device AND the monthly data plan are deductible business expenses for a 1099 contractor working from home. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent even gave me specific guidance on how to document my business use percentage since I occasionally use the hotspot for personal stuff too. Saved me so much time and frustration!

I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it for myself since I'd been trying for weeks to get through to the IRS about some 1099-NEC questions. Holy crap it actually worked! Got connected to an IRS agent after their system waited on hold for like 1.5 hours (but only about 10 minutes of MY time). The agent confirmed everything about the internet deductions too - both the device and monthly service can be deducted as business expenses, but you need to track business vs personal use. She suggested keeping a log for a sample month to establish your usage pattern. I'm still kind of shocked this service actually delivered what it promised.

Just a heads up - make sure you're keeping track of exactly what percentage you're using for work vs personal. I got audited last year for my home internet deduction (also a 1099 worker) and had to justify why I claimed 90% business use. I ended up having to pay back some of the deduction because I couldn't adequately prove that percentage. My tax guy now recommends keeping a usage log for at least one "sample" month to establish your typical usage pattern, then using that to calculate your business percentage. Better safe than sorry!

Dude, I've been writing off my entire internet bill for years as a 1099 worker and never had an issue. As long as your primary use is for work, you're good. Don't overthink this... the IRS isn't going to come after you for a few hundred bucks in internet bills lol.

As a 1099 contractor myself, I can confirm that both the hotspot device and monthly data plan are deductible business expenses. The key is proper documentation and accurate business use percentage calculation. For your situation, since you're using the hotspot exclusively for work (8+ hours daily), you should be able to deduct 100% of both costs. However, I'd recommend keeping detailed records showing: 1. Purchase receipt for the hotspot device 2. All monthly service bills 3. A simple log documenting work hours/usage for at least one sample month 4. Any emails or documentation from your employer about remote work requirements The expensive data plan you mentioned is actually a positive for your deduction - it shows the business necessity since regular plans wouldn't meet your work requirements. Just make sure to save everything and be prepared to justify the business use percentage if ever questioned. Don't let fear stop you from claiming legitimate business expenses - just document everything properly!