26 Tax Write-Offs for Caterers
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.722300
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.Pulling off the perfect event takes creativity and a fine attention to detail. From the perfect recipe to a showstopping presentation, you think of everything — at least, everything the customer sees. But too often, business owners neglect their own finances, especially when it comes to taxes.
But just like leaving the hors d'oeuvres in the oven too long, leaving your business expenses in your taxable income is a recipe for disaster. It’s time to take those sweet savings out, lower your tax bill, and get more of your hard-earned income back to put toward your next event.
You can write off pots, pans, spatulas, mixing bowls, and everything else you use to cook food.
Large equipment — commercial ovens, big mixers, walk-in coolers — is depreciated on Box 13 rather than expensed all at once.
Any food or ingredients you use to cook meals for clients are write-offs.
Dishes, utensils, napkins, and other serving items can be deducted on your taxes.
Bowls, pans, containers, and whatever you use to transport food to an event are write-offs.
If you rent a kitchen to prepare catered meals, you can deduct it from your taxes.
Any required certifications or licensing fees can be deducted.
Business cards, brochures, service menus, and flyers promoting your business are deductible.
Ad campaigns on Google, Meta, TikTok, and more are all deductible on your taxes.
Squarespace, Wix, GoDaddy, and other website service fees are fully tax-deductible.
If you need to hire an editor, designer, photographer, or other creative pro, write off what you pay them.
Pay any one contractor $600 or more in a year and you'll need to file a Form 1099-NEC for them.
Write off the fees you pay to contract labor to help you complete projects.
Pay any one contractor $600 or more in a year and you'll need to file a Form 1099-NEC for them.
Protecting yourself and your business with liability insurance? It's a write-off.
Chef uniforms or branded clothing you need to wear on the job can be deducted.
This applies to clothing you can't reasonably wear outside of work. Everyday clothes don't qualify, even if you only wear them on the job.
The cut Stripe, PayPal, Square or your invoicing platform takes on each payment is a write-off.
If you drive for work ...
As a freelance caterer, you'll likely need to zip around town for client meetings, venue visits, and to pick up fresh ingredients or cooking supplies. If you drive your own car for these things, you can claim car-related costs as a business expense.
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 ...
Perhaps you want to take a client out for dinner to get a sense of the kind of food they enjoy. To the IRS, this is a business meal and can be written off your taxes.
Other potential business meals include going out for food or coffee with venue owners, event planners, or fellow caterers.
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 ...
If you're cooking up big out-of-town plans to take your business to the next level, such as catering an event, meeting with a client, or attending an industry workshop or conference, don't forget to write off your travel expenses.
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 ...
A caterer might work from home on a number of things:
Cooking
Food prep
Testing new recipes
Managing finances and paperwork
Creating marketing materials
Working on client development
If you work from home regularly, you can deduct home office-related 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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