What expense category do cell phone chargers and accessories fall under for tax deductions?

Thanks for the info! What about more expensive chargers like those wireless charging stations that cost like $50-60? Would those still be office supplies or would they be something else because of the higher price?

For those more expensive wireless charging stations, they would still typically be classified as office supplies despite the higher price point. The classification is based more on the nature and purpose of the item rather than strictly the cost. However, if you purchase something particularly expensive (like a multi-device charging station that costs well over $100), you might want to check with your accountant as some businesses might classify these as minor equipment. The $50-60 range is still generally considered office supplies for most small businesses. Just make sure you're keeping detailed records of these purchases with receipts showing the business purpose.

Does it work if you already use software like QuickBooks? I've been categorizing everything myself but I'm not always sure if I'm doing it right, especially for tech stuff that seems to fall into gray areas.

I'm a bit skeptical about these tax AI services. Is it actually accurate with categorizing expenses? I've had issues with other tools mislabeling things before and had to fix everything manually anyway.

Yes, it works alongside QuickBooks perfectly! I actually use both. I run my receipts through taxr.ai first to get the proper categories, then I enter them into QuickBooks with the correct classification. Saves me from having to guess or research each item type. As for accuracy, I was skeptical too at first, but my accountant actually confirmed all the categorizations were correct. The thing that impressed me was that it recognized subtle distinctions, like knowing that a power bank should be categorized differently than the regular electricity bill, even though both are technically "power" related.

How does this service actually work? I've literally never been able to reach anyone at the IRS no matter how long I wait on hold. Is this some kind of premium line or something?

This sounds like snake oil to me. The IRS is notoriously unreachable. How could some random service magically get you through when millions of people can't get through? And even if you did reach someone, I doubt they'd give tax advice on specific expense categorizations.

The service basically uses technology to wait on hold for you. When they reach an IRS agent, they call you and connect you directly. There's no "premium line" - they're just using the same phone lines everyone else uses, but their system does the waiting instead of you having to stay on the phone for hours. Regarding getting tax advice, I was clear with the IRS agent that I was looking for general guidance, not specific tax advice for my situation. They were able to explain the general rules about supply categorization, including price thresholds, that I could then apply to my specific purchases. You're right that they don't provide personalized tax advice, but they can definitely clarify tax rules and regulations.

What about if you run a business where you're constantly buying tech accessories to resell or to use in client projects? Would they still be office supplies or would they be something else since they're directly tied to revenue?

Great question! If you're purchasing tech accessories to resell, those would not be office supplies - they would be classified as "Inventory" or "Cost of Goods Sold" since they're directly tied to your revenue generation. Similarly, if you're buying these items specifically for client projects and billing the client for them, they would be considered "Job Supplies" or "Project Costs" rather than general office supplies. These distinctions are important because they affect how the expenses offset your income on your tax return and potentially impact your business deductions.

Wait really? I've been buying phone chargers and giving them to my employees whenever they need them. Do I need to be reporting that somehow on their taxes? They're just cheap $10-15 chargers usually.

@Andre Dupont For small items like $10-15 chargers provided to employees, these are typically considered de minimis fringe benefits and don t'need to be reported as taxable income to the employees. The IRS has a de minimis threshold for minimal-value items that would be administratively burdensome to account for. However, if you re'buying more expensive items or providing them frequently to the same employees, you should definitely have an accountable plan in place. An accountable plan requires employees to substantiate the business purpose and return any excess reimbursement. Without this, even small amounts can technically be considered taxable compensation. For occasional cheap chargers, you re'probably fine, but it s'worth discussing with your accountant to make sure you re'compliant, especially if this becomes a regular practice.

This spreadsheet idea is brilliant! I'm definitely going to set something like this up. Quick question though - when you're calculating business use percentage for your phone, do you go by time spent on business calls, or do you factor in things like business emails, work apps, and other business-related phone usage too? I feel like just counting call time might underestimate the actual business use, especially since I'm constantly checking work emails and using business apps on my phone throughout the day.