Can I write off my child's musical instrument and music camp as tax deductions?
So I'm in a bit of a situation and hoping for some tax advice. My son got accepted into a specialized music high school (super proud mom moment!), and we've invested quite a bit in supporting his musical education. I bought him a saxophone that cost around $1,200, and I'm also sending him to this intensive summer music camp that's about $2,800 to help him prepare before school starts in the fall. I'm wondering if any of these expenses could possibly count as tax deductible since they're education-related? The instrument is definitely required for his schooling, and the camp seems like it should count as educational too, right? This is all getting expensive fast, so any tax breaks would be really helpful! Thanks for any insights you can share.
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NeonNova
Unfortunately, these expenses typically aren't deductible on your personal tax return. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminated most miscellaneous itemized deductions, including those for education expenses that aren't part of a qualified higher education program. Even before those changes, K-12 expenses like instruments and summer camps weren't usually deductible. The instrument might qualify for a state education tax credit depending on where you live, but federally there's not much help for pre-college education expenses outside of specific education savings accounts like 529 plans or Coverdell ESAs. If you own a business and your child legitimately works for it, there might be some creative options, but those get complicated quickly and need to be properly documented.
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Dylan Campbell
•Wait, so even though the school literally requires the instrument, there's no deduction? What about those education credits I've heard about? And wouldn't the camp count as childcare expense since I'm working while he's there?
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NeonNova
•The education credits (American Opportunity Credit and Lifetime Learning Credit) only apply to post-secondary education - colleges, universities, and vocational schools - not high school. Even qualified higher education expenses are specific and typically include tuition, fees, and required course materials, not instruments. If the summer camp qualifies as a dependent care provider while you work, you might be able to use the Child and Dependent Care Credit. However, specialty camps that focus on a specific activity like music are often treated differently than general daycare or summer camps for tax purposes. The IRS tends to view specialized camps as educational enrichment rather than necessary childcare. You'd need to determine if the primary purpose is care while you work or musical education.
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Sofia Hernandez
Went through something similar with my daughter's art supplies for a specialized high school program. I was hitting roadblocks trying to figure out the tax situation until I tried taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai). You can upload docs and ask specific questions about your situation - it really helped me understand what I could and couldn't claim. They analyzed my receipts for art supplies and clarified that while I couldn't deduct them directly, I might qualify for state-specific education credits. Might be worth checking them out for your instrument purchase documentation and camp receipts.
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Dmitry Kuznetsov
•How exactly does this work? Do you talk to actual tax professionals or is it just an AI thing? I'm always skeptical about sharing financial docs online.
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Ava Thompson
•Does it give actual advice for your specific situation or just general info you could find on Google? I've wasted money on "tax help" tools before that just regurgitated IRS publications.
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Sofia Hernandez
•It's AI-powered but specifically trained on tax documents and IRS publications. You upload your documents or receipts, and it extracts the relevant information and answers specific questions about your situation. It's not just generic advice - it analyzes your actual documents. They use bank-level encryption for document storage, and they're pretty transparent about their security measures. I was hesitant at first too, but once I saw how it worked with my specific receipts, I was impressed.
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Ava Thompson
Just wanted to follow up about taxr.ai - I decided to try it with my son's music school acceptance letter and the receipts for his trumpet and summer band camp. The system actually found that in our state, we qualify for a small education expense credit that can include required musical instruments for specialized school programs! It wouldn't have shown up on my radar otherwise. The document analysis was super thorough and gave me state-specific advice I hadn't found anywhere else. Definitely saved me more than it cost.
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Miguel Ramos
I dealt with this exact situation last year, and after getting nowhere with regular internet research, I tried calling the IRS directly to get a straight answer about music education deductions. Spent THREE DAYS trying to get through - kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) - they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in under 20 minutes. You can see how it works in their demo: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent confirmed that while federal options are limited, she pointed me to our state's education expense credit that I had no idea about. Totally worth it to get the official word instead of conflicting internet advice.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•How does this even work? The IRS phone system is completely broken, how could any service actually get you through?
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Dmitry Kuznetsov
•I call BS. Nobody gets through to the IRS that quickly. I've tried everything and the best I got was a 2.5 hour wait. What's the catch here? There's always a catch with these services.
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Miguel Ramos
•They use a technology that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you. When an agent actually picks up, you get a call connecting you directly to that agent. It's not magic - they're basically just doing the waiting for you. No catch that I found - it worked exactly as advertised. I was skeptical too, which is why I tried it as a last resort after three days of failed attempts. The IRS phone system IS broken, that's why this service exists in the first place. They've figured out how to work with that broken system so normal people don't have to waste entire days on hold.
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Dmitry Kuznetsov
OK I have to eat my words here. After my skeptical comment, I decided to try Claimyr as a test since I had a legitimate question about my son's education expenses. Got connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes. The agent confirmed everything the previous commenter said - no federal deduction for the instrument or specialized camp, but pointed me to my state tax department for possible state credits. Saved me HOURS of hold time and confusion. Sometimes being proven wrong is actually a good thing!
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StarSailor
Have you looked into a 529 plan? While it wouldn't help for expenses you've already paid, it's great for future education costs. My daughter is also in a specialized arts high school, and we've been using her 529 for some qualified expenses. The rules got expanded a few years back and now some K-12 expenses can qualify (up to $10k per year).
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Fatima Al-Hashimi
•Thanks for this suggestion! I actually do have a 529 already set up but I thought it was just for college. Can it really be used for high school too? Would future summer camps qualify?
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StarSailor
•Yes, the 529 rules were expanded in 2018 to allow up to $10,000 per year for K-12 tuition. It's important to note this is only for tuition though, not for related expenses like instruments or camps. For summer camps, those still don't qualify under federal 529 rules, unfortunately. However, some states have their own education incentives that might help with specialty camps, so check your state's tax information specifically.
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Connor O'Brien
Quick tip: check with the music school itself! My kid's performing arts school provided families with a detailed letter explaining which expenses might qualify for tax benefits. They also had a partnership with a local music store that offered rental-to-own programs that were more tax-advantaged than straight purchases. Worth asking the school administration if they have any guidance specific to their program.
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Yara Sabbagh
•This is such smart advice! Schools with specialty programs often have these resources that nobody thinks to ask about. Our STEM academy had a whole handout about technology purchases and potential tax implications.
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Javier Morales
I'm going through this exact same situation with my daughter's violin lessons and summer orchestra camp! After reading through all these suggestions, I decided to try both taxr.ai and calling my state tax department directly. Turns out my state has a small education expense credit that covers required instruments for specialized programs - who knew? The federal options are pretty limited like everyone mentioned, but don't forget to check your state-specific programs. Also, definitely ask the school's financial aid office - they often have lists of local scholarships and grants that can help offset these costs even if they're not tax deductible. It's worth exploring every angle because these music programs add up fast!
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Kendrick Webb
•This is such a helpful summary of all the options! I'm dealing with similar expenses for my daughter's flute and music theory camp this summer. Quick question - when you checked with your state tax department, did you call them directly or was there an online resource? I'm in California and trying to figure out the best way to get accurate info about our state credits without spending hours on hold like some people mentioned with the IRS.
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