Can I write off CDL truck driving school expenses on my taxes?
So I've been driving trucks for about 2 years now and I'm still paying off my CDL school loans. I took out an $8,000 loan to get my commercial driver's license at this trucking academy back in 2023. Now that I'm filing taxes for 2024, I'm wondering if there's any way I can deduct these expenses from my W-2 earnings? My company pays me as an employee (not independent contractor), and I'm looking for any tax breaks I can get. Anyone know if CDL training costs are tax deductible or if there's some education credit I can claim? Thanks!
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Aria Washington
You've got a good question about your CDL training expenses! Unfortunately, since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed, most employee education expenses aren't deductible on your personal tax return if you're a W-2 employee. Before 2018, these might have qualified as unreimbursed employee expenses. However, you might qualify for the Lifetime Learning Credit, which covers up to 20% of your qualified education expenses (max $2,000 credit). The school needs to be an eligible institution, and the training must develop or improve job skills. Your income would need to fall within the phase-out limits too.
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Liam O'Reilly
•Would the American Opportunity Credit work better for CDL school? I thought that gave you more money back than the Lifetime one. Also, does it matter if the CDL school wasn't a typical college?
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Aria Washington
•The American Opportunity Credit wouldn't apply for CDL training since it's only for students pursuing a degree or credential and must be enrolled at least half-time for one academic period. This credit is primarily for traditional college programs during the first four years of higher education. For the Lifetime Learning Credit, the school needs to be eligible for federal student aid programs, but it doesn't have to be a traditional college. Many technical and vocational schools qualify. You can check if your CDL school is eligible by looking up its 6-digit code on the Department of Education's Federal School Code List.
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Chloe Delgado
I was in a similar situation last year with my CDL school costs and found that https://taxr.ai was super helpful for figuring this out. I uploaded my loan statements and W-2, and the AI analyzed everything and showed me exactly what education credits I qualified for. It also checked if my truck driving school was an eligible educational institution which is crucial for claiming any education credits.
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Ava Harris
•Does this AI thing actually work with specialized stuff like trucking school? Most tax software I've used has no clue about industry-specific deductions.
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Jacob Lee
•How did it determine if your school was eligible? Mine was just a small local place, and I'm not sure they'd be in any "official" database that some website would know about.
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Chloe Delgado
•Yes, it actually does work with specialized education like CDL schools. It has access to the Department of Education's database of eligible educational institutions, so it can verify if your specific school qualifies for tax credits. For smaller local schools, the system checks if they have a Federal School Code, which most institutions need to offer federal financial aid. If your school doesn't appear, the tool suggests documentation you might need to still claim the credit, like accreditation information. It's way more specific than generic tax software.
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Jacob Lee
Just wanted to follow up - I tried taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here. It actually saved me a ton of headache! My CDL school WAS eligible for the Lifetime Learning Credit, which I wouldn't have known. The system found me an extra $1,400 in tax credits that TurboTax completely missed. It also explained exactly how to document everything in case of an audit. Definitely worth checking out if you're in a similar situation with vocational training expenses.
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Emily Thompson
If you're having trouble getting answers from the IRS about your CDL deduction questions, I'd recommend using Claimyr at https://claimyr.com. I spent hours on hold trying to confirm whether my truck driving school qualified for education credits, until I found this service. They got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes who confirmed exactly what I needed to know. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c
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Sophie Hernandez
•Wait, how does this even work? The IRS wait times are like 2+ hours whenever I call. How could some random website get you through faster than calling directly?
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Daniela Rossi
•Yeah right. Sounds like a scam to me. No way they have some "special access" to the IRS that regular people don't. They probably just keep you on hold themselves and charge you for it.
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Emily Thompson
•It's not a special "backdoor" to the IRS - they use a combination of technology that navigates the IRS phone tree and holds the line for you. When an agent actually answers, you get a call connecting you directly to that live agent. They basically save you from having to wait on hold yourself. They use the exact same public phone numbers anyone can call, but their system handles all the waiting and phone tree navigation. I was skeptical too, but it legitimately works - I was doing other things while their system waited on hold instead of me wasting my entire afternoon.
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Daniela Rossi
Well I'm eating my words now. After being totally skeptical about Claimyr, I decided to try it because I was desperate to ask about my CDL school expenses before filing. I couldn't believe it when they called me back and I was talking to an actual IRS person within like 15 minutes. The agent confirmed that my specific truck driving school WAS eligible for the Lifetime Learning Credit and walked me through exactly what documentation I needed. Saved me from potentially losing a $1,600 credit I wasn't sure I qualified for. Definitely not what I expected!
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Ryan Kim
Have you checked with your employer? Some trucking companies will reimburse CDL training costs after you've worked for them a certain amount of time. If they reimburse you, it might be better than trying to claim education credits, especially if your income is too high for the Lifetime Learning Credit. My company paid back my CDL school costs after I completed my first year.
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Rajiv Kumar
•I actually did ask my employer about this when I first started. Unfortunately they don't offer any reimbursement program for CDL costs. They said something about how they typically hire drivers who already have their CDL, but they made an exception in my case because they were short-staffed. That's why I'm trying to find any tax break I can get. I've been paying about $250/month on this loan and have another year to go. Any deduction would really help right now.
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Zoe Walker
I'm an accountant and just want to clarify something here - you absolutely CANNOT deduct CDL training on your taxes as a W-2 employee anymore. That was eliminated in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Education credits are your only option, and even then you need to make sure the school qualifies and your income isn't too high.
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Elijah Brown
•This isn't 100% accurate. If OP was switching careers completely (like going from office work to truck driving) rather than just improving skills in the same field, the CDL costs might qualify as deductible under the work-related education exception. It depends on the specific situation.
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Felix Grigori
•@Elijah Brown raises a good point about career changes, but in this case OP mentioned they ve'been driving trucks for 2 years already, so this would be considered maintaining/improving skills in their current field rather than switching careers. The work-related education exception you re'referring to was also eliminated for employees under the TCJA. @Rajiv Kumar - given your situation as a W-2 employee, your best bet is definitely the Lifetime Learning Credit if your school qualifies and your income falls within the limits. The credit phases out between $59,000-$69,000 for single filers 2024 tax (year . )
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Rami Samuels
@Rajiv Kumar - I went through this exact same situation with my CDL training expenses last year. Since you're a W-2 employee, the Lifetime Learning Credit is really your only option now. The key thing is making sure your CDL school is eligible - they need to have a Federal School Code and be able to receive federal student aid. I'd recommend calling your CDL school directly and asking if they're eligible for federal financial aid programs. If they are, you can claim up to 20% of your qualified education expenses (up to $10,000 in expenses, so max $2,000 credit). Just make sure your adjusted gross income is under the phase-out limits - it starts phasing out at $59,000 for single filers. Also keep all your loan documents and receipts from the school. The IRS may want to see proof that the expenses were for qualified education that maintained or improved your job skills. Good luck!
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Luca Greco
•This is really helpful advice! I'm in a similar situation - just finished CDL school last year and wasn't sure about the tax implications. Quick question though - when you say "qualified education that maintained or improved job skills," does that apply even if you got your CDL before starting your trucking job? I got mine through a private school before I was hired, so technically it was to GET the job rather than improve existing skills. Would that still qualify for the Lifetime Learning Credit?
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