24 Tax Write-Offs for Plumbers
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.238220
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.Plumbers know better than anyone that if you have a blockage anywhere in the pipes, it causes a nasty backup. But too often, they leave their taxes clogged with unclaimed savings.
Luckily, there’s an easy way to clear those passages. Simply by claiming the everyday business expenses you encounter on the job, you can lower the water level of your taxable income, and let your profits flow freely once more. No snaking required!
Fees to renew your license to perform your work are fully deductible.
Continuing education classes required to keep your job are fully deductible.
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 a union, go ahead and write off your dues . The share of your dues that goes toward lobbying isn't deductible — your organization can tell you what percentage that is.
Where a union spends part of your dues on lobbying, that portion is not deductible.
If you use software to keep track of appointments, write off the subscription.
Write off the protective gear, like goggles and gloves, you wear on the job.
Tools and equipment used to complete plumbing projects are considered write-offs.
Larger equipment — pipe threaders, hydro-jetters, big augers — is depreciated on Box 13 instead of expensed here.
Print and online advertising costs for your business are considered write-offs.
Squarespace, Wix, GoDaddy, and other website service fees are fully tax-deductible.
Protecting yourself and your business with liability insurance? It's a write-off.
If your state requires you to carry a bond to hold your license, the premium is deductible.
If you drive for work ...
If you drive a car for your plumbing business, like to meet a client or pick up tools and equipment, you can potentially claim some big tax write-offs on the associated 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 ...
Visiting a restaurant for a conversation you're hoping will turn into a referral, or meeting with a fellow plumber to talk about newly-released plumbing equipment? That counts as a business expense and can be written off.
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 there's an out-of-town plumbing conference that your business would benefit from attending, you can write off the related 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 ...
Your workspace doesn't have to be in a separate room for you to claim the home office deduction.
If you manage client paperwork or do industry research from a designated "work spot" in your home, that allows you to deduct those write-offs.
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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