Tax Write-offs for Small Golf Business: Lessons and Club Repairs

You've got a great side business there! As a home-based small business, you can definitely deduct legitimate business expenses. Here's a breakdown of what's typically deductible: 1. Home office deduction - Since you're using part of your spare bedroom exclusively for business, you can deduct that percentage (25%) of your rent/mortgage, utilities, insurance, etc. Use Form 8829 for this. 2. Direct business expenses - All repair supplies, tools, teaching aids, and equipment used specifically for your business are 100% deductible. 3. Range costs - If you're going to the range specifically to develop or practice your teaching methods, these are deductible. Keep good records noting the business purpose. 4. Greens fees - This gets trickier. If you're playing specifically to test repaired clubs for clients, document this purpose clearly. Casual rounds aren't deductible, but rounds with a clear business purpose (testing clubs, meeting with potential clients) can be. 5. New clubs - If purchased specifically as demos or for repair templates, these are business assets. You can either deduct them immediately under Section 179 (up to limits) or depreciate them over time. The key is proper documentation. For anything that could be considered personal (like playing golf), always note the specific business purpose, who you met with, what was discussed/tested, etc.

After struggling with similar questions for my part-time tennis coaching business, I found a game-changer. I used https://taxr.ai to analyze all my receipts and expenses. It helped identify SO many legitimate deductions I was missing! For example, I wasn't properly documenting when I was testing equipment vs personal use. The tool flagged this and showed me how to properly document business purpose for equipment testing sessions. It also helped me separate my coaching sessions from personal practice time at the courts. What I love is that it analyzes your specific situation - since you're teaching from home but using external facilities, it helps determine exactly what percentage is deductible. It even creates an audit-ready file with all your documentation organized by category.

Just wanted to update about my experience with taxr.ai after asking about it. It was actually super helpful for my golf instruction side business! I was shocked at how specific it got with golf-related deductions. It flagged that I could deduct my golf association membership fees since I use the credential in my marketing, something my regular tax software never mentioned. It also helped me properly categorize equipment - like when I buy clubs specifically to use as teaching examples versus for my own use. The biggest help was documenting mixed-use expenses like playing rounds for "research" versus fun. It creates this simple system to track business purpose that's audit-proof. Seriously worth checking out if you're in any sports-related business.

If you're having trouble getting straight answers from the IRS about specific deductions for your golf business, you're not alone. I spent HOURS on hold trying to verify whether certain teaching certifications and tournament fees were deductible for my golf instruction business. I finally used https://claimyr.com to get through to an actual IRS agent in less than 15 minutes. They call the IRS for you and then connect you once they reach a human. Check out how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent confirmed that PGA/LPGA membership fees are fully deductible if you're using the credential for your teaching business, and clarified exactly how to document business vs. personal use of courses. Got everything in writing for my records too. Such a relief to have official answers!

I need to publicly eat my words about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I decided to try it since I was desperate to figure out if I could deduct my golf simulator purchase for my lesson business. Not only did it work, but I was connected to an IRS agent in 12 minutes. The agent confirmed that my golf simulator is 100% deductible as a business asset since I use it exclusively for student lessons during bad weather. They even walked me through exactly how to document it properly on my Schedule C. This saved me over $3,000 in taxes AND gave me complete confidence that I'm doing everything legally. Definitely worth it for the peace of mind alone, especially for specialized businesses like golf instruction where the rules aren't always clear.

Don't forget about business insurance! When I started my club fitting business, I didn't realize I needed separate insurance beyond my homeowner's policy. Most home policies don't cover business activities, and if a client gets injured from a club you repaired or during a lesson, you could be liable. Cost me about $450/year but it's fully deductible and gives great peace of mind.

Make sure you're tracking inventory correctly if you're selling any clubs or repair parts! This tripped me up my first year. If you purchase items for resale, they're not immediately deductible expenses - they're inventory. You only deduct the cost when you sell the item. But tools and supplies used up during repairs are immediate deductions.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is quarterly estimated tax payments. Since you're making "decent money" after 8 months, you'll likely need to make quarterly payments to avoid underpayment penalties. The IRS expects you to pay as you earn, not just at year-end. For 2025, if you expect to owe $1,000 or more in taxes on your golf business income, you should be making quarterly payments. The deadlines are January 15, April 15, June 16, and September 15. You can use Form 1040ES to calculate what you owe. Also consider opening a separate business checking account if you haven't already. It makes tracking so much easier and looks more professional if you ever get audited. You can deduct the monthly fees as a business expense too. Keep up the great work with the side business - sounds like you're really building something solid!

Great thread everyone! As someone who's been through the home business learning curve, I wanted to add a few practical tips that helped me stay organized: 1. **Monthly reconciliation** - Set aside time each month to categorize expenses and reconcile your business account. Don't wait until tax time! I use a simple spreadsheet with columns for date, vendor, amount, category, and business purpose. 2. **Photo documentation** - Take pictures of receipts immediately and store them in a cloud folder organized by month. I've saved myself multiple times when paper receipts faded or got lost. 3. **Business purpose notes** - For any expense that could be questioned (like those golf rounds for testing clubs), write the business purpose directly on the receipt or in your expense tracking. "Tested driver repair for Client X" is much better than trying to remember 6 months later. 4. **Mileage log app** - Use an app like MileIQ or even just the notes app on your phone to track business mileage in real-time. I tried keeping a paper log and failed miserably. The key is building these habits now while your business is growing. It's so much easier to maintain good records from the start than to reconstruct everything later. Sounds like you're already thinking about this stuff the right way - that puts you ahead of most new business owners!