33 Tax Write-Offs for Physicians in Private Practice
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.621111
Reviewed bya tax professionalThis content has been reviewed by an Enrolled Agent (EA) with the IRS — the highest credential awarded by the agency. Enrolled Agents are empowered to represent all taxpayers before the IRS, on all types of tax-related matters. Accountants who earn this certification have passed a comprehensive three-part exam on individual and business tax returns. To maintain EA status, they must stay up to date in the field by completing 72 hours of continuing education every three years.Running your own practice comes with a lot of perks, but the increased tax burden sure isn’t one of them. Luckily, there are plenty of ways for physicians to lose a little bit of tax fat around the office.
From medical supplies to scrubs to the receptionist’s pens that patients are always losing, the everyday expenses of your medical practice can be used to save you money come tax time. Claim your write-offs to give your office a clean bill of tax health today!
Fees to renew your medical license and board certifications can be written off.
Any medical equipment required for your job is deductible on your taxes.
Subscriptions to medical journals like The Lancet and NEJM can be written off.
Write off any CME seminars you take to learn new techniques or expose yourself to cutting-edge research.
Continuing education classes required to keep your job are fully deductible.
If you rent an office to see patients, you can write this off.
Gloves, gauze, sutures, PPE, and sharps disposal you buy for your practice are deductible.
Write off subscriptions to software used to bill patients and insurance providers.
Do you pay wages to nurses, physicians assistants, receptionists, or fellow doctors? That counts as a business expense.
If you have employees, you'll spend money to take care of them with health insurance and other benefits. Write off what you pay for these programs.
Print and online advertising costs for your business are considered write-offs.
Squarespace, Wix, GoDaddy, and other website service fees are fully tax-deductible.
Write off the fees you pay to contract labor to help you complete projects.
If you pay an accountant to track your income and expenses, you can deduct their fee.
Any uniforms you're required to wear on the job are considered tax-deductible.
Repairs, dry cleaning, or alternations for your uniform are tax-deductible.
Deduct anything you buy for your office, like pens, binders, folders, printer ink, or a whiteboard.
If you drive for work ...
If you drive a car to see patients at home, attend a conference, or get to a second clinic, you can write off a portion of your car expenses.
Keep in mind: The portion you can write off is equivalent to the percentage you use your car for work. So if you use your car 70% of the time for personal reasons, you can only write off 30% of your 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.
Oil changes, repairs, and regular checkups are all tax-deductible if you drive for work.
If you discuss work at a restaurant ...
Medical researchers, pharmaceutical representatives, nurses, or fellow physicians are all people you might grab a meal with to discuss work. This counts as a business meal, so the cost can be written off your taxes.
If you take your staff out for a team-building lunch, that also counts.
If you discuss work with a coworker, mentor, client, or prospective client, it's a write-off!
If you leave town for work ...
The IRS lets you deduct travel expenses if the trip is directly related to your work as a physician, like attending an industry conference or, perhaps, making a house call to an out-of-town client.
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, all meals are tax-deductible. Even takeout!
If you work from home ...
If you have an at-home workstation where you regularly conduct business, like conducting industry research or managing paperwork for your practice, you qualify for the home office deduction.
A desk, chairs, lamps, and other home office necessities are all tax write-offs.
You can write off up to $2,500 for individual repairs to your property.
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.
Your Comcast bill is a tax write-off. You need internet to do your job!
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