28 Tax Write-Offs for Self-Employed Attorneys
NAICS business codeYour NAICS business code is a six-digit string of numbers that shows the type of work your business does. NAICS stands for North American Industry Classification System. When you do your taxes, you'll enter it in Box B of your Schedule C.541100
Reviewed bySabrina Wiechart, CPASabrina is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with over 15 years of experience in tax preparation, planning, and S-Corp compliance. She holds a Master’s in Accounting and specializes in helping self-employed individuals make smart tax decisions. Sabrina is passionate about simplifying the S-Corp process and making sure every client keeps more of what they earn.We’ll keep this brief: Here at Keeper, we have an objection to people paying more taxes than they have to. But while you can’t get out of it completely, as an independent attorney you’re entitled to write off your business expenses.
From business conferences to office supplies, claiming these everyday purchases can help lower even the steepest tax bill. Justice may be blind, but the smart lawyer will see these savings as the sweet victory they are. We rest our case.
Deduct anything you buy for your office, like pens, binders, folders, printer ink, or a whiteboard.
Print and online advertising costs for your business are considered write-offs.
Gifts for clients costing up to $25 are deductible.
Keeping up with the latest trends and techniques with books and courses can be written off.
This covers training that maintains or improves skills for the work you already do. Courses that qualify you for a new trade or profession are not deductible.
If you subscribe to Westlaw, Lexis+, or other databases for research, write off what you pay.
Protecting yourself and your business with liability insurance? It's a write-off.
If you belong to any professional organizations, you can write off the dues.
The share of your dues that goes toward lobbying isn't deductible — your organization can tell you what percentage that is.
Payments to paralegals, legal assistants, or co-counsel you contract with are deductible.
Pay any one contractor $600 or more in a year and you'll need to file a Form 1099-NEC for them.
Case and practice management tools like Clio or MyCase that you use to run your firm are deductible.
Mandatory state bar dues and licensing fees you must pay to keep your license to practice are deductible.
A dictaphone, briefcase, or other specialized equipment for attorneys are tax write-offs.
Fees for continuing legal education (CLE) courses and certifications can be deducted.
This covers training that maintains or improves skills for the work you already do. Courses that qualify you for a new trade or profession are not deductible.
If you drive for work ...
If you drive for work, like to meet with a client or attend a court hearing, preside over your taxes with confidence by remembering to write off car expenses.
Parking for a meeting downtown, or any other work trip, is tax-deductible!
A toll while driving to or from a work destination is tax-deductible!
If you buy a new car, you can write off part of the cost every year for five years.
Flashlights, tire iron, duct tape, and other tools you may need in your vehicle are deductible.
Car insurance monthly fees, registration, even roadside assistance are partially deductible — if you use the actual expense method. The standard mileage rate already covers them.
Oil changes, repairs, and regular checkups are deductible if you use the actual expense method. Take the standard mileage rate instead and they're already baked into your per-mile deduction.
If you discuss work at a restaurant ...
Your work doesn't stop when court's not in session. If you meet with fellow attorneys, judges, or clients to talk about work over a meal or a coffee, you can write off the cost.
If you discuss work with a coworker, mentor, client, or prospective client, it's a write-off — 50% of the tab.
If you leave town for work ...
When you travel for work, like to meet with an out-of-town client or to attend an industry conference, travel expenses like transportation, accommodations, and meals all count as write-offs.
Planes, trains, and car rentals are all work-related travel costs that can be written off.
When you travel for work, lodging expenses such as hotel rooms or Airbnb are write-offs.
When you're traveling for work, your meals are 50% deductible — takeout included. (Long-haul truck drivers subject to DOT hours-of-service rules can deduct 80%.)
If you work from home ...
Many attorneys work from home these days, taking client meetings, conducting research for a case, doing industry research, or managing finances and paperwork. If you work from home, whether in an actual office or at a desk in your living room, you can write off home office expenses.
A desk, chairs, lamps, and other home office necessities are all tax write-offs. Anything over about $2,500 gets depreciated on Form 4562 instead of written off all at once.
Repairs just for your home office are 100% deductible. Repairs to the rest of your home count too, prorated by your business-use percentage on Form 8829.
Gotta keep the lights on in your home office! A portion of your electricity bill counts.
Whether it's rental or homeowners insurance, you can write off a portion through your home office deduction.
It'd be hard to work in an office without running water, huh? Your water bill counts.
You need internet to do your job! If you claim a home office, deduct it prorated on Form 8829 along with your other utilities. Internet you pay for on the road, purely for work, is 100% deductible.
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