The Freelancer Tax Deduction Checklist (2024)
Every legitimate deduction saves you ordinary income tax plus 15.3% self-employment tax. That's a 35–50% return on every dollar you track. Here's the full list.
Home and office
- Home office (simplified or actual)
- Coworking memberships
- Office furniture and equipment
- Internet (business %)
- Cell phone (business %)
Software, subscriptions, tools
- SaaS subscriptions used for work
- Domain names and hosting
- Design assets, stock photos, fonts
- Cloud storage, password managers
- Industry-specific tools and equipment
Vehicle and travel
- Business mileage (67¢/mi in 2024) — log every trip
- Parking and tolls
- Airfare, lodging, ground transport for business travel
- 50% of meals while traveling for business
Education and professional growth
- Courses that maintain or improve current skills
- Books, audiobooks, podcasts (business-related)
- Conferences and registration fees
- Professional memberships and licenses
Insurance and benefits (self-employed)
- Self-employed health insurance — above-the-line deduction, full premium for you/spouse/dependents
- Long-term care insurance (age-based limits)
- Business liability insurance
Retirement contributions
- SEP-IRA — up to 20% of net SE earnings
- Solo 401(k) — up to $69,000 in 2024 (more if 50+)
- SIMPLE IRA — $16,000 employee deferral in 2024
These reduce income tax (not SE tax) but the savings are large.
Marketing and client acquisition
- Website costs and SEO services
- Paid ads (Google, Meta, LinkedIn)
- Business cards, branding, logo design
- Networking event tickets
Professional services and fees
- Accountant and bookkeeper fees
- Legal fees related to the business
- Bank fees and payment processor fees (Stripe, PayPal)
- Business loan interest
The QBI deduction (don't forget)
Most self-employed people get a 20% Qualified Business Income deduction on net business profit, subject to income phaseouts. It's automatic in tax software but worth verifying.
Run your own numbers
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