If I’m self-employed and was wondering if there is a cell phone tax deduction. Is there an IRS cell phone deduction for self employed people?
You can qualify for a cell phone tax deduction from cell phone charges incurred when the mobile phone is being used exclusively for business. There is not an IRS cell phone deduction for self employed people, exclusively. However, you can also deduct additional business expenses that you incur.
When you use a personal cell phone for business, the regular monthly expense will not qualify as a deduction. To deduct the expense, you would need to calculate the business-use percentage of the mobile phone on a month-by-month basis.
Adequate documentation could include a log with these:
- Notes that indicate whether each call was personal or business
- Business purpose of each call
Also, your cell phone can’t be your primary residential phone. Additional cell phone charges like these are considered business expenses:
- Charges for business-related long-distance calls
- Roaming charges related to those business calls
- Additional services added specifically due to business needs
- Plan increases specifically due to business needs
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