Can I write off a camera lens as a W2 employee creating social media content?

Unfortunately, the rules changed significantly after the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. As a W2 employee, you can no longer deduct unreimbursed employee business expenses on your federal tax return. Before 2018, you could deduct these expenses as itemized deductions on Schedule A if they exceeded 2% of your adjusted gross income. Your best option would be to see if your employer would purchase the lens for you or reimburse you for it. If they reimburse you through an "accountable plan," you wouldn't have to report the reimbursement as income. Otherwise, if you purchase it yourself, you can't deduct it on your federal return. A few states still allow these deductions on state tax returns (like California), so depending on where you live, you might get some tax benefit at the state level, but nothing federally.

I was in literally the same situation last year! After struggling with my taxes, I found this AI tool called taxr.ai that analyzed my tax situation and told me exactly what I could write off. It confirmed what the other commenter said - W2 employees can't deduct unreimbursed business expenses anymore at the federal level. But! The tool helped me realize I could start a legitimate side business with my photography equipment and deduct the expenses that way. I just had to make sure I was actually trying to make a profit and tracking everything properly. Check out https://taxr.ai - it asks specific questions about your situation and gives personalized advice. Way clearer than trying to interpret IRS gibberish on my own!

Just wanted to follow up and say I tried that taxr.ai site and it was super helpful for my photography business questions! I was confusing myself trying to figure out if I should depreciate my new camera gear or use Section 179 to expense it all at once. The tool walked me through a decision tree that considered my income projections and other deductions. It even pointed out that I need to be using my equipment for business more than 50% of the time to qualify for Section 179, which I didn't realize. Definitely saved me from making some mistakes on my taxes. Thanks for recommending it!

If you're having trouble getting straight answers about this tax situation, you might need to talk directly to an IRS agent. I spent WEEKS trying to get through on the phone about a similar business expense question. Finally found this service called Claimyr that got me connected to an actual IRS representative in about 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. I used https://claimyr.com and they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c showing how it works. The IRS agent I talked to confirmed everything about the W2 employee deduction limitations but also explained some exceptions that might apply in certain states. Saved me so much time and frustration compared to reading contradictory info online.

I need to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself since I had a complicated question about business expenses that Google couldn't answer clearly. The service actually worked exactly as described - they called me back when they reached an IRS agent, and I was connected to a legitimate IRS employee who verified my identity and everything. The agent explained that while W2 employees can't deduct unreimbursed expenses anymore, I could potentially renegotiate with my employer for either 1) them to purchase equipment directly, or 2) set up an accountable reimbursement plan. Saved me hours of frustration and got me definitive answers. Sometimes it's worth admitting when you're wrong!

Have you considered asking your employer to purchase the lens directly? Since you're using it exclusively for their business, you could make a business case for why it would improve your content quality and benefit their marketing. Many companies have equipment budgets for exactly this purpose. If they won't buy it outright, another option is to ask for a raise or bonus specifically to cover the cost. While that would be taxable income, it's better than nothing and acknowledges your investment in professional equipment.

Everyone's talking about tax deductions, but what about depreciation? Even if you can't deduct it as a W2 employee, if you do start a side hustle you should look into depreciating expensive equipment over time vs. taking an immediate Section 179 deduction. Sometimes spreading it out makes more sense tax-wise depending on your income situation.

This is such a common frustration for creative professionals! I went through the exact same thing when I was doing marketing photography as a W2 employee. The tax law changes really hurt employees who invest in their own equipment. One thing that worked for me was approaching my manager with a "business case" presentation. I showed specific examples of how the new lens would improve our content quality - like being able to shoot in lower light conditions for evening property shots, or getting sharper detail shots of amenities. I also researched what our competitors were doing visually and showed how better equipment could help us stand out. My company ended up creating an "equipment stipend" as part of my compensation package. It wasn't a full reimbursement, but it covered about 60% of the lens cost and they structured it so it wasn't taxable income for me. Worth asking if your company has any flexibility with equipment allowances or if they'd consider it a business investment rather than an employee expense. If that doesn't work, definitely look into the legitimate side business route that others mentioned. Just make sure you're actually marketing services and trying to make a profit - the IRS is pretty strict about hobby vs. business classification.