Can I deduct my work parking expenses on my taxes?

So there's absolutely no way to deduct it? What if I itemize my deductions instead of taking the standard deduction? It just seems wrong that I have to spend so much money just to get to work and can't get any tax relief.

For employees, there's no way to deduct these expenses directly on your tax return regardless of whether you itemize or take the standard deduction. The itemized deduction category that would have covered this was specifically suspended by the tax law changes. Your best option would be to ask your HR department if they offer a pre-tax transportation benefit program. Many large employers, especially hospitals, do provide this benefit which allows you to pay for qualified parking expenses with pre-tax dollars, effectively giving you a discount equal to your tax rate. Some employers also offer subsidized parking options for lower-wage workers, so it might be worth inquiring about that as well.

Does this service just tell you what deductions you qualify for or do they actually help you file your taxes too? I'm always skeptical about these online tax services because sometimes they just tell you obvious stuff you already know.

I'm in a similar situation but at a university. Would this work for educational institutions too? My parking is like $95/month which is still painful on my salary.

They don't file your taxes for you - they specifically analyze your work-related expenses and tax documents to find missed opportunities and errors. What makes them different is they have specialized knowledge about workplace benefits that regular tax software might miss. For educational institutions, absolutely! In fact, universities often have transportation benefit programs but don't always communicate them well to employees. The service can identify if you qualify for programs your employer already offers but maybe hasn't made clear, or if there are other tax advantages you're missing with your current setup.

Wait how does this actually work? Do they just call the IRS for you? I don't understand how they can get through when nobody else can.

Yeah right... nobody gets through to the IRS. I've been trying for weeks. This sounds like a scam to get your personal info.

They don't call for you - you still make the call yourself. What they do is use technology to navigate through the IRS phone system and wait on hold for you. When they get a human agent, you get a call back to connect with that agent. It's your phone and your call the whole time. The reason it works is they've figured out the optimal calling patterns, menu selections, and timing to get through the system. They also have technology that keeps your place in line even when the IRS system would normally disconnect you. I was definitely skeptical too until I tried it. I had been disconnected three times before trying this.

Thanks for the suggestion! I never thought about that. Do you know if your hospital had any formal program or did you just organize it with coworkers yourself?

Our HR department had a formal carpooling program with a registry where you could sign up and get matched with people working similar shifts in your area. They issued special carpool parking passes that were discounted. Even if your hospital doesn't have a formal program, you could still organize one yourself with coworkers who live near you. We eventually just arranged it ourselves because we found people with more compatible schedules than the official matching system. Just make sure whatever arrangement you make complies with your parking contract rules.

Public transit is great if it's available, but not everyone has that option. I work at a suburban hospital with literally no bus service within 2 miles.