Tax Preparation Fees Deduction: Who Can Still Claim It?

Taxpayers used to be able to deduct costs associated with preparing their tax returns if they itemized their deductions, but that tax break disappeared for most in 2018, after the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) took effect.

Unless you're self-employed, taxpayers cannot deduct the expenses associated with tax preparation. Learn more about how the tax preparation deduction works and whether you're eligible for it.

Who Can Still Deduct Tax Preparation Fees?

Only the self-employed can claim a deduction for tax preparation fees in tax years 2018 through 2025. This means that if you own a business as a sole proprietor, you are eligible for this deduction, and can claim it on Schedule C.

Statutory employees can also continue to claim this expense on Schedule C. Statutory employees are effectively independent contractors, but they can be treated as employees for tax purposes. For example, they include:

• Drivers who distribute certain food products or beverages other than milk and who are paid on a commission basis
• Drivers who pick up or deliver dry cleaning or laundry and who are paid a commission
• Full-time traveling or local salespersons, if this is their primary source of income
• Individuals who work remotely from home provided that the employer dictates their tasks and provides their supplies
• Life insurance sales agents

What Portion of Fees Is Deductible?

The next hurdle is determining exactly what portion of your tax preparation fees you can deduct. In general, the IRS will cover the following expenses:

• Fees from an accountant or tax preparer, which includes both meetings and the actual cost of return preparation
• Cost of tax-preparation software programs 
• Fees accumulated for e-filing (including credit card fees)

You can also typically deduct legal and professional fees related to your business on Schedule C. However, you generally cannot deduct legal fees you pay to acquire business assets.

You might not be able to deduct the entire expense, however. An accountant might charge you $500 to prepare your tax return, but you can only claim the portion of the fee that’s attributable to preparing your Schedule C, E, or F—in other words, the business portion of your taxes. Everything else falls into the category of a personal miscellaneous expense, so it’s no longer tax-deductible.

How to Claim a Deduction for Tax Preparation Fees

Tax preparation fees are deductible on Schedules C, F, and E because they’re considered to be “ordinary and necessary” to running your business.

Claiming the Deduction on Schedule C

These fees are “legal and professional services” on Schedule C. That’s Line 17 in Part II of the schedule, labeled “Expenses.” They can additionally include anything you might have to spend to resolve a tax dispute with the IRS over your profit or loss from business.

Claiming the Deduction on Schedule F

Schedule F is “Profit or Loss From Farming.” Tax preparation fees fall into the category of “other expenses” on this form, which appears on Lines 32. The IRS wants you to break down what these expenses were for on the lettered lines. For example, you might enter things like “tax prep fees” and “office expenses." Again, these tax costs must directly relate to your farming business, not personal tax issues.

Claiming the Deduction on Schedule E 

Schedule E is for “Supplemental Income and Loss,” and it covers a wide variety of tax situations and entities, including income from renting out real estate or collecting royalties. You can deduct the costs of tax return preparation that relates to either of these income sources, but again, you can’t deduct the cost of preparing your entire tax return. You can only claim the cost of preparing this and any other related schedules, or for tax advice on issues pertaining directly to this income. 

This can be a bit tricky if you’re a landlord and you lived in or used any of your properties personally during the tax year. You’re not just breaking out business-related tax prep costs, but you—or your tax professional—must also determine what percentage of your business costs is deductible. You can only deduct all of your expenses if you personally used the home or unit for 14 days or less, or 10% of the time it was rented to others, if it sat vacant for a while. You must also have rented it at fair market value. 

What About State Returns?

If you're a business owner or statutory employee, the IRS also has you covered when it comes to preparation of state returns and state tax issues, too. This deduction is available for all things tax-related, provided those taxes are associated with your business. The same goes for any local taxes you might be dealing with. You can deduct them according to these rules and guidelines if you spent the money on your business. 

As for state-level tax preparation fees deductions, check with a local tax professional to find out what applies in your state. The taxation process can vary considerably from state to state—some have no income tax at all, and one state—New Hampshire—taxes only dividends and interest through 2025. Various states might or might not offer this deduction.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)