Top 10 Tax Deductions for Self-Employed People

There are several benefits to being self-employed, including independence. You get to create your schedule and make your own decisions. You can choose when to work! But that independence also comes with a lot more responsibility, for better or worse. You run your own small business, therefore in a manner that most individuals who are employed don’t, you are accountable for your income taxes and self-employed deductions. There is a lot you need to know before you start if you have never paid or filed taxes as a small business owner before. There are several techniques to decrease your overall taxable income and raise your take-home pay. You will be overpaying taxes if you do not utilize these tax deductions for self-employed expenses.

1. Qualified Business Income Deduction, for Starters

Small firms with an annual eligible business income below a particular threshold can deduct 20% of that income. Your net income is referred to as QBI, although interest, capital gains, and the income derived from sources outside the United States are not included.

2. The Deduction for Self-Employment Taxes

You must contribute a larger proportion of your income—a total of 15.3%—to Social Security and Medicare if you are a self-employed person. On the other hand, you can write off half of that. You can deduct 7.65% of your self-employment tax as a business expense from your taxable income.

3. Home Office Tax Credit

The home office deduction is a substantial additional source of financial savings. But doing so isn’t sufficient to qualify for this deduction. You must have a specific area in your house that you use exclusively for your business and that serves as your main place of operation.

You can deduct a part of all home-related expenses as business expenses. Especially if you qualify for this deduction. In proportion to the size of your home office, you can deduct a portion of your rent or mortgage payment as well as other significant home maintenance expenses. All of that is in addition to any office supplies or other purchases you make solely for business purposes.

4. The Deduction for Health Insurance Premiums

You can deduct your health insurance premiums as a business expense if you are not eligible for health coverage through your spouse. Since you are essentially your employee’s employer, you should deduct the cost of health insurance from your pre-tax income.

5. The Deduction for Vehicle Use

Do you travel frequently for work-related reasons? The costs of traveling for work purposes other than commuting are deductible, whether they are incurred using a corporate car or your vehicle.

You have two options for this deduction: either keep a written record of every vehicle expense or just track distance. The normal mileage rate will be followed by a deduction from income by the IRS. Most firms can deduct between 58.5 and 62.5 cents per mile traveled for work-related purposes for 2022 taxes.

6. Discount on Internet and Phone Bills

How much do your phone and internet bills cost? As long as you utilize them for your business, these may also qualify as tax-deductible expenses. Based on an estimation of your relative business use, you can deduct a portion of the overall cost for a home office or a personal phone that you also use for business expenses.

On the other hand, you can have a unique phone that you use only for work or even a unique internet plan. The full amount of those costs can then be written off as an expense for your company.

7. Meals Deduction

You may be able to write off all or a portion of the price of meals or entertainment that you paid for while working under certain conditions. You can deduct 50% of your meal expenses if you take clients out to eat or bring food to share with coworkers.

A few meal-related expenses are also entirely deductible. If you give out food or entertainment for a company-wide party or if you formally incorporate something in employee remuneration for whatever reason, it qualifies as 100% deductible.

8. Contributions to Retirement Plans

You are allowed to deduct a sizeable sum of money each year for contributions you make directly to your retirement plan. By doing this, you can postpone paying taxes on that income until after you withdraw it.

Before the end of each year, you should make the maximum amount of deductible retirement contributions possible, especially if you anticipate falling into a higher income tax rate.

9. Interest

Even if you don’t have a home office, you can still deduct interest on loans. Including your mortgage, even though many loans principals cannot.

10. Education

According to the IRS, job-related continuing education is a regular and essential component. You can deduct any money you spend on education as long as it’s related to furthering your education or staying current with industry advancements.

This also includes any subscription costs or association dues you may have.

To Sum Up Tax Deductions for Self-Employed People

To effectively use the options at your disposal to decrease your taxable income and overall tax burden needs a strong commitment and level of expertise.

With Your Part Time Accountant in your corner, it doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. While you invest time and money into expanding your business, let our tax experts manage your tax deductions for self-employed people. You may relax knowing that America’s top virtual accounting service isn’t throwing away potential savings.