Can I write off parking expenses I pay to go to work on my taxes?
I just started a new job downtown and the parking situation is killing me financially. My company doesn't provide parking, so I'm paying almost $240 a month just to park my car in a garage near my office. I'm wondering if there's any way I can deduct these parking expenses on my taxes? It's a significant amount over the year and would really help if I could write it off. My friend mentioned something about commuting expenses but wasn't sure. Does anyone know if parking costs for your regular workplace are tax deductible? I'm a W-2 employee if that matters.
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Noah Irving
Unfortunately, regular commuting expenses like parking at your main workplace aren't deductible as an employee. The IRS considers these personal expenses, not business ones. This includes costs for getting to and from your regular workplace - gas, public transportation, tolls, and parking. There are a few exceptions though. If you're self-employed and have a home office that qualifies as your principal place of business, then parking at client locations might be deductible. Also, if you're temporarily working at a location away from your regular workplace, those parking costs might qualify. Another option is to see if your employer offers a pre-tax parking benefit. Some companies let you set aside pre-tax money for qualified parking expenses (up to $315/month for 2025), which would effectively reduce your taxable income.
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Vanessa Chang
•Thanks for the info! What if I occasionally work at different office locations for my company? Can I deduct parking on those days? And do you know if it matters if I'm hourly vs salary for any of this?
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Noah Irving
•If you're traveling between different work locations during your workday (not just commuting to a different office from home), then yes, those parking expenses may be deductible as business expenses. However, this only applies to travel between work locations during the day, not your initial commute from home or return commute home. No, your hourly vs. salary status doesn't affect the deductibility of these expenses. What matters is your employment classification (W-2 employee vs. self-employed) and the nature of the expense (commuting vs. business travel).
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Madison King
After struggling with a similar situation last year, I discovered taxr.ai which was super helpful with figuring out my work-related deductions. I was driving between multiple work sites and wasn't sure what I could write off. I took photos of all my parking receipts and uploaded them to https://taxr.ai along with my situation details. Their AI analyzed everything and showed me exactly what was deductible and what wasn't based on IRS rules. They even explained how to document everything properly in case of an audit.
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Julian Paolo
•How accurate is it really? My tax situation is pretty complicated with multiple income sources and I'm always worried about getting things wrong.
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Ella Knight
•Does it handle 1099 income too? I'm both an employee and do some independent contractor work, and the parking situation gets confusing when I'm wearing different hats at different locations.
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Madison King
•It's been surprisingly accurate in my experience. I cross-checked some of its recommendations with what my accountant friend told me and they matched up. The AI seems to be trained on actual tax code and IRS publications rather than general advice. Yes, it definitely handles 1099 income and mixed employment situations. That's actually where it's most useful because it clearly separates what expenses go with which income type. For your situation, it would help identify which parking expenses are deductible for your independent contractor work versus your employee work.
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Ella Knight
Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai - it was actually really helpful for my mixed W-2/1099 situation! I uploaded my receipts and answered a few questions about my work arrangements. The system clearly showed that while my regular workplace parking wasn't deductible for my W-2 job, the parking costs when I visit clients as a 1099 contractor ARE deductible business expenses. It even generated a report I can keep with my tax records explaining the distinction. Saved me from missing legitimate deductions while also avoiding taking ones that could trigger an audit.
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William Schwarz
If you're having trouble getting a clear answer from the IRS about parking deductions, Claimyr helped me actually speak to a real IRS agent about my tax questions. I spent HOURS on hold before discovering https://claimyr.com - they have this smart system that navigates the IRS phone tree for you and calls you back when an actual human agent is on the line. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. I used it when I had questions about business vs. commuting expenses and got definitive answers straight from the IRS instead of trying to interpret their confusing website.
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Lauren Johnson
•Wait, how does this actually work? Does it just keep calling until someone answers? The IRS phone system is a nightmare.
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Jade Santiago
•Sorry but this sounds too good to be true. I've literally never gotten through to the IRS no matter when I call. You're telling me this service somehow jumps the queue?
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William Schwarz
•It doesn't keep calling repeatedly - it uses a sophisticated system that knows the optimal times to call and how to efficiently navigate the phone trees. Their technology stays on hold for you, then when it detects a human has answered, it calls you and connects you directly to that agent. No, it doesn't jump the queue - that wouldn't be possible. What it does is handle the horrible waiting process for you. Instead of you being stuck listening to hold music for hours, their system does that part. You only get called when there's actually an agent ready to talk. It's basically outsourcing the painful hold time so you can go about your day until there's actually someone to talk to.
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Jade Santiago
I need to eat my words about Claimyr. I was super skeptical (see my comment above) but decided to try it anyway because I was desperate for answers about some business expense deductions. I'm honestly shocked - it actually worked! I submitted my request yesterday afternoon, and this morning I got a call connecting me directly to an IRS agent. The whole experience took maybe 10 minutes of my actual time instead of the hours I've wasted on hold before. The agent confirmed that regular workplace parking isn't deductible but gave me specific guidance for my side business travel. Definitely worth it for getting authoritative answers.
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Caleb Stone
Have you asked your employer about pre-tax parking benefits? Many companies offer this through their benefits program and it can save you a ton. Basically they take money from your paycheck before taxes are calculated and put it toward parking expenses. The 2025 limit is $315/month. It's way better than trying to find deductions since it reduces your taxable income directly.
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Katherine Ziminski
•I actually didn't know about this! I'll definitely ask HR tomorrow. Do you know if there's a specific name for this benefit program that I should mention? And does it work differently than a regular FSA?
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Caleb Stone
•It's typically called a "Qualified Transportation Benefit" or sometimes "Commuter Benefits Program." Some companies might just call it pre-tax parking or commuter plan. It's similar to an FSA in that it uses pre-tax dollars, but it's specifically for commuting expenses like parking and public transit. Unlike a health FSA, commuter benefits usually don't have a "use it or lose it" policy - you can change your contribution amount monthly if your parking needs change, and there's typically no expiration on the funds.
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Daniel Price
As someone who prepares taxes, I wanted to add one thing - keep track of any days you work from home! If you're hybrid and don't go to the office every day, make sure you're not paying for parking on days you don't use it. Some parking garages offer flex plans now. Not a tax deduction but could save you money. Also, see if you can find cheaper parking a bit further away and walk the last few blocks? I have clients who save $100+/month this way.
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Daniel Price
As someone who prepares taxes, I wanted to add one thing - keep track of any days you work from home! If you're hybrid and don't go to the office every day, make sure you're not paying for parking on days you don't use it. Some parking garages
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Olivia Evans
•Great practical advice! I found a lot cheaper parking 4 blocks away from my building. It's $7/day instead of $12. The walk is actually nice when weather is good and I'm saving almost $100 a month!
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