Author Topic: Commuter Bike - Tax Write Off?  (Read 2524 times)

tojnom

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Commuter Bike - Tax Write Off?
« on: November 28, 2016, 10:55:34 AM »
hi, I'm self employed & just started commuting to & from the office this year.  Does anyone know if I can deduct a bicycle purchase as an expense?  Thanks in advance, Joe

SeattleCPA

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Re: Commuter Bike - Tax Write Off?
« Reply #1 on: November 28, 2016, 11:24:45 AM »
Commuting isn't deductible as "transportation" expense... so I would doubt it.

BTW, sometimes what self-employed people do is arrange their day so they do less commuting and more deductible "business" transportation.

E.g., the trip from home to your first work location of the day and the trip from your last work location of the day both count as commuting. But moving between work locations during the day counts as transportation. So if work first in your home office (so it's a commute from the kitchen where you've just made coffee to your home office desk)... then your trip from your home office to the next work location (some consulting client) is "transportation" expense... etc.

Obviously, you need to have the reality match the rules in order to make the deduction valid.

Retire-Canada

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Re: Commuter Bike - Tax Write Off?
« Reply #2 on: November 29, 2016, 01:07:34 PM »
hi, I'm self employed & just started commuting to & from the office this year.  Does anyone know if I can deduct a bicycle purchase as an expense?  Thanks in advance, Joe

I have written off more than one bicycle as a business expense. Not to commute to/from office, but as transportation for my business activities. Since I have a home office there is no commute.