Tax Deductions for Freelance Translators

We finally got the taxes for the American side of our company off our desks (this is one very important task that we gladly outsource to an accountant who also runs a small business). For those of you who are still working on getting things organized, we wanted to share some of the deductions we were able to claim. We are certainly not qualified to give tax advice, but these are deductions that have been approved by our CPA. Some are pretty standard, while some were unexpected.

If you have any others that you have claimed for your business, please share them by leaving a comment below!
  • Mileage for all our business trips (to the post office, to meet with clients, to the copy shop)
  • A portion of the mortgage on the house (for the home office) and partial utilities
  • Charity donations (we donated an old laptop to a non-profit organization)
  • Dues to professional organizations (ATA, NITA, Chamber of Commerce, etc.)
  • Software and computers (new laptop, accounting software)
  • Stamps (we buy them in bulk at a discount at Costco and expense the entire book at once)
  • Gifts for existing and potential clients (holiday gifts, customer appreciation)
  • Cell phone costs (exclusive Twin Translations cell phone)
  • Internet costs
  • Webhosting costs for our websites
  • Office supplies (paper, ink, etc.)
  • Business meals (client pitches, brainstorming meetings)
  • Parking (at airports en route to conferences, presentations, for meetings, etc.)


4 comments:

Karen Tkaczyk on April 9, 2009 at 7:39 PM said...

To add to your list: costs for professional development and training (which I'm sure you just left off by accident), and advertising.

Judy Jenner and Dagmar Jenner on April 16, 2009 at 1:29 PM said...

@Karen: Yes, thanks, that's a good addition to the list. We didn't list it because we thought everyone already knew about that on -- but you are right, that's an important part. And we totally forgot to mention advertising, which is minimal for us. Thanks for reading.

Anonymous said...

Is this the same case if I work for Los Angeles court?

Judy Jenner and Dagmar Jenner on December 9, 2012 at 10:27 AM said...

@Anonymous: These deductions are for freelancers, so if you work full-time, you probably wouldn't qualify. However, we are not tax professionals, so please be sure to ask your CPA!

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