Tax write off lists — business tax write offs lists rarely cover everything the the United States Internal Revenue Service allows. If you need to put together a business tax write off list, start thinking about all your expenses and whether they help your business. Business expense write offs for tax purposes include the costs of carrying on business. You can write off legitimate expenses if you can realistically expect the business to make a profit. (And if you’ve set your consulting fees properly, you should have room for profit.)

Tax write off list details

Business expenses (tax write-offs) have to be "ordinary and necessary" — common, accepted in your busines, helpful and appropriate. If your expense is partly used for personal reasons, make sure you only write off the business part.

Tax write off list

Here’s a short list of business expenses you can write off for tax purposes. Be sure to check with an accountant to make sure your business tax write-off list is appropriate and necessary for you.

• Cost of Goods Sold — the costs for products and raw materials, including shipping
• Storage costs for products you sell
• Labor costs for workers who make your products
• Factory overhead expenses
• Capital Expenses from going into business, acquiring assets and making improvements
• Business Use of Your Home
• Business Use of Your Car
• Employees’ pay
• Retirement plans for you and your employees
• Rental expenses
• Interest
• Taxes (some)
• Insurance
• Advertising
• Stationery and supplies

Those are just some of the write-offs enjoyed by small businesses, like consultants. For more information on business write-offs, check out the following articles:

• Write offs from Business Week
• Writing off start-up costs from Microsoft
• Self-employment tax info from the IRS
• Business expenses and write-offs from the IRS
• Writing off business use of home from the IRS
• Writing off business use of your car from the IRS
• Some really detailed business expense write-offs from the IRS
• Overlooked tax deductions from Jackson Hewitt

You may also want to consider the steps to becoming a consultant. Good luck — and remember, these are just some suggestions. Always check with an accountant or the IRS for tax advice.

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Learn how to become a consultant with our official mentored course at Become a Consultant: How to Make the Leap.

Tax write-off list

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