Can I write off work parking expenses on my taxes?

Thanks for the quick response! What if my employer occasionally asks me to work at different locations? Like sometimes I have to drive to client sites or our satellite office across town and pay for parking there. Would those count as deductible since they're not my regular workplace?

Yes, that's a good question! If your employer requires you to work at temporary locations (like client sites or other offices), parking costs at those temporary locations could potentially be deductible as employee business expenses. However, there's another important caveat - the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act suspended the deduction for unreimbursed employee business expenses from 2018 through 2025. So even for those temporary work locations, you currently can't deduct those expenses on your federal return unless you're certain categories of employees like armed forces reservists, qualified performing artists, fee-basis state or local government officials, or employees with impairment-related work expenses.

Did they charge you for this analysis? I'm interested but worried about adding more expenses on top of my parking costs. And how detailed was their assessment? Like did they just give generic info or really look at your specific situation?

I don't get how this works - so they can't magically make your regular work parking deductible, right? Because the first commenter said that's just not allowed under tax law. So what exactly did they do that was helpful?

There was no upfront cost for the initial analysis which was surprisingly detailed - they asked specific questions about my work situation, travel patterns, and employer. They identified exactly which expenses weren't deductible and which ones could potentially qualify. What made it valuable was they showed me that while I couldn't deduct my regular workplace parking, I could approach my employer about setting up a pre-tax parking benefit program that would save me about 30% on those costs through payroll deduction. They also helped me document the business mileage for when I drive between offices during the day, which is separate from commuting. They basically found angles I hadn't considered rather than trying to make non-deductible expenses magically deductible.

How does this even work? I thought it was impossible to get through to the IRS these days. Are they just auto-dialing for you or something? Seems too good to be true.

I'm extremely skeptical. Why would I pay a service to call the IRS when the information about commuting expenses is clearly stated on their website? Sounds like a waste of money for something you could google in 2 minutes. And who knows if the "IRS agent" you get is even giving correct info - they're notorious for giving conflicting answers.

They use a smart system that navigates the IRS phone tree and holds your place in line. Then when an agent is about to pick up, you get a call connecting you directly. It's not auto-dialing - they're using technology to navigate the system efficiently and save you from waiting on hold. The value wasn't just confirming the basic rules I could Google - it was getting specific answers about my unique situation. The agent walked me through exactly how to document expenses when I transport heavy equipment to different worksites and which form to use. They also explained a special rule about temporary work locations that applied to my specific case. The information was much more detailed and personalized than what's on the website.

I work at a company with around 50 people and we got this set up last year! It's called a Section 132 Qualified Transportation Benefit. Our HR person said it was surprisingly easy to implement through our payroll provider. The company actually saves money too because they don't pay payroll taxes on the amounts we set aside for parking. In my case, I'm saving about $70/month by paying with pre-tax dollars. Definitely worth asking about!

Thanks for sharing your experience! That's really helpful to know. I'll definitely bring this up with our HR person then. Did your company need to hire some special benefits provider or was it really just handled through your regular payroll system?

Some employers also have deals with nearby garages that employees don't know about. I randomly mentioned my parking costs to our office manager and found out we get a corporate rate that's $75 cheaper per month than what I was paying. I'd been overpaying for TWO YEARS because I didn't ask! Might be worth checking with your company.