26 Tax Write-Offs for Interior Designers
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.541400
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.Let’s face it, you probably got into interior design to express yourself, not worry about your taxes. But did you know you can save significantly at tax time if you arrange your write-offs correctly?
It’s true! As an interior designer, you can write off any ordinary business expense from your taxes. Whether it’s design software or swatch samples, these everyday purchases you make to help your clients’ homes look beautiful can also make your wallet shine. Now that’s good feng shui!
Write off fees for software used to design interiors for clients, like Infurnia and Autodesk.
Reference books you use for research or to hone your industry knowledge are write-offs.
Any subscriptions to trade journals related to your industry are considered tax write-offs.
Software you use for invoicing, tracking expenses, creating timesheets, and so on is deductible.
Deduct anything you buy for your office, like pens, binders, folders, printer ink, or a whiteboard.
If you have to keep inventory of products or samples, you can write these off.
Freelancers, contractors, or other services that help you run your business are tax-deductible.
Pay any one contractor $600 or more in a year and you'll need to file a Form 1099-NEC for them.
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.
Squarespace, Wix, GoDaddy, and other website service fees are fully tax-deductible.
Print and online advertising costs for your business are considered write-offs.
Protecting yourself and your business with liability insurance? It's a write-off.
Educational courses and certifications to enhance your skills are considered tax write-offs.
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 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.
Fees to renew your license to perform your work are fully deductible.
The cut Stripe, PayPal, Square or your invoicing platform takes on each payment is a write-off.
If you drive for work ...
If you drive for work, like to scope out furniture or art pieces or to visit worksites, you can claim car-related tax write-offs.
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 ...
Self-employed interior designers can partially claim food or drink expenses if it's to talk about business with a client, supplier, mentor, or fellow designer.
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 ...
On a business trip, such as meeting with an out-of-town client or attending an interior design conference, you can deduct the cost of travel to your destination, as well as lodging and meals.
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 ...
Whether you work from home out of necessity or by design — on things like client development, industry research, design briefs, or virtual meetings — you can deduct home office expenses from your taxes.
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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