What Tax Deductible Expenses can I claim for my new Blogging Business?

You've got a lot of potential deductions with a travel/lifestyle blogging business! Here's what you can generally deduct: Home office: If you have a dedicated space used exclusively for blogging, you can deduct a portion of rent/mortgage, utilities, internet, etc. based on the percentage of your home used for business. Equipment: Your laptop, camera, lighting, microphones, and other tech are deductible. Items over $2,500 might need to be depreciated rather than deducted all at once. Travel: When the primary purpose is business (content creation), you can deduct transportation, accommodations, and 50% of meals. Keep detailed records showing how each trip directly relates to your blog content. Meals: When reviewing restaurants, they're 50% deductible as business expenses. Document who you met with (if anyone) and the business purpose. Other deductions: Website hosting, domain fees, photo editing software, social media tools, business cards, professional subscriptions, and education/courses related to blogging. The key is keeping meticulous records. Document everything with receipts and notes on business purpose. Consider a separate business credit card and bank account to make tracking easier.

I was in a similar situation last year and spent HOURS trying to figure out all the deductions. Finally came across https://taxr.ai which completely changed the game for me. Upload your receipts and it automatically categorizes everything as deductible or not based on your business type. It saved me so much headache trying to figure out what counts as a legitimate tax deductible expense for my blog. Their blog section has articles specifically about deductions for content creators too. I found out I could deduct things I never would've thought of like a portion of my cell phone bill since I use it for social media management and taking photos.

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai that the previous commenter recommended! Honestly wish I'd found this sooner. It identified several deductions specific to my blogging business I was totally missing - especially around home office and equipment depreciation rules. The part that really helped was their review of subscription services. I was paying for several tools (Adobe, email marketing, scheduling software) that I didn't realize were 100% deductible. They also helped me properly document my travel expenses so I can confidently claim those deductions without fear of raising audit flags. Definitely recommend it if you're serious about maximizing your tax deductible expenses while staying compliant!

I hate to be that person, but has anyone actually managed to get through to the IRS about business deductions? I've been trying for WEEKS to get clarification on what I can deduct for my blog and can't get a human on the phone. Keep getting stuck in automated hell or disconnected after waiting an hour. So frustrating when you're trying to do things right! I found this service called https://claimyr.com that supposedly helps you skip the IRS phone queue. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c that shows how it works. Has anyone tried it? Seems too good to be true but I'm desperate at this point.

Update on Claimyr - I'm eating my words right now. After being skeptical I decided to try it because I was desperate for answers about my blog equipment deductions. It actually worked! Got connected to an IRS agent after about 90 minutes (spent that time working instead of listening to hold music). The agent was super helpful and clarified exactly how to handle deductions for camera equipment and travel expenses specific to content creation. They explained the documentation I need to keep and how to properly categorize everything. Honestly shocked that something actually delivered what it promised when dealing with tax stuff. Saved me so much time and frustration!

One deduction many bloggers miss is business insurance! I write off my liability insurance and equipment insurance which protects my camera, laptop, etc. Also, don't forget about professional development - courses, webinars, books related to blogging, photography, SEO, etc. are all deductible. For tracking mileage between locations for content creation, I use an app that automatically logs my trips. Way easier than manual tracking and it's been accepted during an audit (yes, I got audited in 2024... not fun but I survived!).

Quick tip from a tax preparer who works with lots of bloggers: Keep a dedicated credit card JUST for business expenses. Makes tax time so much easier and helps if you ever get audited. You'd be surprised how many people mix personal and business expenses and then can't sort it out at tax time.