There are are number of fees and expenses related to trucking that are tax deductible, and a well-organized trucker takes all tax deductions available.
Drivers, when you’re doing taxes, Don’t Forget These Deductions:
Access Fees:
- Internet (Cell phone data plans)
- Satellite (Qualcomm, Sirius/XM)
Administrative Fees:
- ATM Fees
- Check Reorder Fees
Association Dues
- OOIDA, Teamsters, etc
ComData/ComCheck Fees:
- Computer Software
- Credit Card Fees
Cleaning Supplies:
- Window Cleaner
- Paper Towels
- RainX
Interest:
- Business Loan
- Credit Card
Office Supplies:
- Pens, Pencils, Paperclips, Envelopes, Folders, Rubber Bands
Medical Exams
- DOT Physical
- Drug Tests
- Sleep Apnea Study
Postage Fees:
- For Mailing Invoices, Bills of Lading, etc…
Real Estate Expenses:
- Mortgage interest
- Mortgage prepayment penalties
- Penalties of early withdrawals
- Points on principal residence financing
- Real estate taxes
Safety Gear
- Steel-toe boots
- Work Gloves
- Cargo straps
Trucking & Business Related Subscriptions
- Load board subscriber fees
- Trucking industry magazines
Uniforms
- Dry Cleaning Costs for your uniforms or protective clothing
Don’t make the same mistake as many truck drivers, falling into the trap of trying to claim too much and ending up with an audit. Here are some non-deductible expenses that many truckers’ need to leave off:
NON-Deductible Expenses:
- Expenses that were reimbursed by your employer
- Clothing that is adaptable to everyday wear
- Commuting costs (tolls, gas, parking)
- Home phone line
- Interest on personal loans
- Personal vacations
Special Notes For Owner-Operators:
- You CANNOT deduct the time you incur from working on your own equipment
- You CANNOT deduct the income lost as a result of deahead/unpaid mileage, ONLY the expenses incurred to operate the truck during that time such as fuel, tolls and scales. etc.
- You CANNOT deduct for downtime
Note: Your tax situation is unique. This article does not give nor is it intended to give specific tax advice. Please confer with your own licensed tax/accounting professional.
Below are accountants that offer trucking specific account services:
Truckers Professional Services
TAPS – Trucker Account and Permitting Service
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{ 59 comments… read them below or add one }
my company gives us the perdiem pay in our checks instead of letting us file for it @ the end of the year now how do I go about filling out tax forms on turbo tax
Hi Frank… if you are paid per diem the amount that you were paid should be in box 14 of your W2. This amount is nontaxable and does not need to be put on your tax return. On the other hand you won’t be taking a per diem amount for your meals on your schedule C or a 2106 (for work-related expenses) as your company has already paid you for it. Some truckers may tell you that they do that and get away with it but I wouldn’t want to risk it.
ps I haven’t used turbo tax lately (I am a paid preparer) but having thought about this more, if there is a place to put a box 14 entry on Turbo Tax, and the amount is on your W2 in box 14, type it in but you won’t be taxed on it.
Do these deductions just count for OTR drivers???
Most of these expenses would also apply to day drivers, as long as they are true work expenses.
Is there a website or a publication that lists the deduction categories by expense. For example, which of the IRS Deduction categories would Scale Tickets be place. My thought would be that they are a professional service, but have been told that they go under Other Expenses.
Paper towels could go under Supplies, Office Expense, Maintenance, Repairs or Other Expense…
I just want things to be in the right category in case I am audited.
I wish there was a list of all expenses and their corresponding deduction category.
I have been told that meals are tax deductible as well..Is this true or am I being given some bad information?
Meals are deductable, but it is so much easier to use the per diem rate, that way you only have to keep track of the number of days you are out of town, not all of your meal receipts. And remember, they are only deductable if you do not get reimbursed for it!
If your not paid a per diem your safe / best bet is take the Standard meal allowance for D.O.T. hours of service compliance IRS. publication 463 bottom of page C6 top of C7
Your meals are reimbursed up to a certain percentage, and only if you have your receipt. The per diem that you can claim is $52/day instead of saving receipts. You can still claim other receipts, such as scales, washes, and truck supplies on top of the per diem as long as you have your receipts. Using the per diem rate is a lot easier and more beneficial (for me) as I don’t eat $52/day in food.
I’m trying to file on turbo tax using my taxes (that we’re done by a prepairer last year) as a guide. My turbo tax doesn’t have a place for me to deduct my truck lease payments. Also I train students that are paid as an employee through my company. But the actual wages are taken from my pay. How can I recoop that employee cost.
i`m a self-employed truck driver. can i use per diem rate. in which box ot Schedule C i have to put per dime
MY RUNS ARE AROUND 250- 350 PER DAY, I ‘M USUALLY OUT FROM 1030 AT NIGHT TO 0530 IN THE MORNING , CAN I STILL USE THE PER DIEM DEDUCTION?
Dear Greg,
Bad news. Per diem expenses are for when you are away overnight, and staying somewhere else. A single shift does not count. Just because you work nights doesn’t count. If you worked from 10:30 am til 5:30 pm you would not qualify. Working night shift doesn’t change anything.
When you are away overnight and have to stay somewhere, even in your truck, then you count the day you leave and the day you return as 3/4 days. All other days count for full days. If you are staying overnight somewhere, even days you leave at 10:30 pm and return at 5:30 am count for 3/4 day.
Hope this helps.
Truckers Tax Haven
Is there any type of deduction/offset for “lost miles” if you are not an owner-operator? I see in the special notes above that uppaid mileage is not deductible for owner-operators. In this situation, the truck is owned by the company and the drivers run short trips daily. Example, trip pays 100 miles, however, actual miles driven for each trip is 110. Over a year, the extra 10 miles can really add up. This may be a long shot or false information amond the drivers.
There is no way to claim ‘lost miles’. (actual/driven vs. company calculated/paid) I tried that when I worked for a large company who was well known for being short on their miles up to 20% every trip, on a 1000 mile run, that not only shorts the miles, but screws the log book, too.
If there is a discreprency between the miles your company said you’d get paid for and what they paid you, then you need to take it up with the company (usually better to take care of that once a month or week).
how much a day am i allowed to deduct for otr overnite layovers??
Publication 463 says you can take a per diem of $52 in the states and $59 out of the US. This is for meals. Just make sure you aren’t near your residence. The form is pretty easy to read. Look under travel, meals & logding for transportation workers. The usual deduction is $39.
Whats the Per Diem decuction per day for OTR truckers?
$52/day as of 2009
i bought a laptop for my trucking business , is a tax write off?
I was wondering if anyone would be able to tell me with fed, state and social security what is the percentage i should with hold from my check every week as a single person who claims one at the end of the year on my 1099?
I am a company driver. I drive dead head 100 miles to pick up a load for which I am not paid. I then drive 300 miles loaded for which I am paid. Can I denduct the time it takes me to get to the paying portion of the job?
Do the deductions above apply if you work for a Company? Example: My BF uses his own money to wash his truck (owned by the company) once a week. If he was to get a receipt would he be able to take the deduction? Also, would he be able to write off the cleaning & office supplies that he keeps in his truck if he purchases them with his own money? Thank you in advance for any information you can provide.
If he is a company driver, the company usually will reimburse the wash fee normally once every 2 weeks. If he doesn’t turn them in then he can deduct them at tax time. And any office supplies purchased for use on the truck are deductible.
How do I figure per diem with electonic logbooks?
I have to renew my CDL this year, including my hazmat. This amounts to over $150! This fee should be on the list of deductible expenses but I don’t see it up there.
Tolls and Fuel are deductable. You have them listed as non deductable.
Sure, they are deductible if you’re paying them on the job. However, tolls and fuel that are paid on your way to work in your personal vehicle are non-deductible, which is why they are listed in that section.
My boyfriend is a new truck driver and Im trying tohelp him keep everythign in order for tax time. I understand that you get a 52.00 a day food rate, and that papertowels and what not can be deducted. Is there any helpful hints that anyone can give me? All I have is a pile of receipts he gives me each month when he comes home. Im so confused!
My company takes taxes out of my hourly rate, but on my check the milage that I am paid is not taxed. Am I responsible for all these taxes?
Thanks for any help you can give me.
How does the per diem work for husband & wife driving teams filing jointly?
Whom or what do you use to file your taxes at the end of the year. This is the first year that my husband is an O/O. But he also has a w2 coming for company driver for 3/4 of the year. Any information will be greatly appreciated
My runs are from 3:30 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon. Can I use the per diem deduction?
can tv dvds games be deducted from trucker taxes they are in truck with him for entertainment
Karyn I live in WI and I was able to deduct TV, DVD player., CB, Sirius radio, GPS, Atlas, Postage, Laundry, Basic Supplies Tire gauge Flashlight etc.
can i right off my tv and dvd player that i have in my truck?
Unpaid miles, entertainment – not deductible.
Per diem pay forced by employer – NOT a good deal for drivers, Research it.
Rate allowed is $59/day for days actually on the road. Calculate how many days out. Subtract
the forced per diem and if the standard of $59 is higher, you can deduct the difference. Remember when employer does the per diem, this “decreases” your pay for social security, income claimed to get mortgages, unemployment amount, etc.
Husband/Wife teams each get the standard daily deduction as a driver in their own right.
Per diem/standard daily deduction write off is for drivers that do not go home every night and have to sleep in truck.
Licensing, endorsements, physicals, etc that are not paid for by employer are deductible.
Get a good CPA that does lots of trucker taxes. Well worth the small cost and it’s deductible.
Ours is Darrel Ingram in Dallas, look him up. Years of experience with truckers.
My brother is an independent trucker. He uses his cell phone for both business & personal use. What is a safe percentage of his cell phone bill can he claim as a tax deduction?
My son made $25k working for a trucking company. This year HRBlock claimed a per diem for 232 days using form 2106 and a schedual A form. He wanted to buy a house but was told his deductions were too high. The per diem brought his income down to $14k so now he’s told he can’t buy a house. Even though he grossed $25k, his income tax form basically says he only made $14k. What happened? Can this be corrected?
we had the same problem. your son needs a mortgage broker.
I leave 2030 and return 0830 haul takes me out of state, do I quailify for per diem deduction?
I have been told that meals are tax deductible as well..Is this true or am I being given some bad information?
Wow. This is all confusing. I do not understand this perdiem thing. The IRS will allow each driver to deduct $59/day out just cuz they are a truck driver. Correct? Why would this make it look like you made less during the year? I thought deductions were just that, deductions. It softens the blow of what you owe the tax man/ allows you to get money back at the end of they year?? My husband and I will be very diligent in keep receipts, etc and I want to make sure we take advantage of everything we can. I have used turbo tax in the past for business ventures and it was great. Easy to use and covered everything. I can’t imagine it would be different for this. Btw, thanks so much for this thread. Helps!!
You will have to claim the perdiem they gave you and then deduct the total perdiem allowance you are entitled to..
Yes its correct. The bank see’s it just like it is, Your Son may “Generate” $25k a yr . But acording to His tax filling it cost him $11k to do it.
My husband has just become employeed by a small private trucking company. We found out they do not deduct taxes from his checks. I need to learn how to do that myself but I have absolutely NO clue how it’s done or how to pay the taxes. Anyone in this situation? Can you help me, please?
Am leasing to company this is my first time filling do i get any deduction every day that am on the road
Meals are part of your daily deductions in il its 48.00 per day
My husband is truck driver so u can claim $59 per day it is ok
My question is concerning the per diem for tax purpose. My husband gets a per diem but one trip its $13.00, the next trip it could be 28.00 and so on But he is always out on the road,,, so can we deduct the differenc of $52.00 per day?
So my husband is a company truck driver he is OTR keeps log books but isn’t out over night. Can he claim anything from his log books?
Tracy, the per diem is $59 per day not $52. Also the days of leaving and returning are handled in a special way. If he is subject to DOT regs he can claim 80% of this allowance instead of the usual 50%. If he is getting reimbursement from his employer he has to back it out from the allowance.
ok… first time trying to do deductions for my husband (otr) driver. what is the per diem deduction and what is the food deduction? what category do they go under?
Had a tax person tell my o/o he can claim std mileage for all miles driven. Is that true?
I ride with my husband full time our truck is leased out to a company, for next year taxes what are the requirements for myself to get any allowances, I help with everything including all the expenses etc., but the driving, as I do not have a CDL or permit. Would I also have to be employed by the lease company ? Can I just have a permit or has to be a CDL the tax man said I needed a CDL and I am wondering if it can be a permit and or employed? * He is employed by them as I am not*
@ Lauretta
If you do not hold a CDL, AND are not actually employed by the company, you can not claim the per diem – sorry. Riding along does not count, regardless of whether you do all the paperwork or not.
and whoever is stating the per diem rate as $59/day is WRONG!
the correct rate is: continental US = $52/day
OK, I need to amend my previous statement
the per diem rate for 2012 was $52/day from Jan 1 to Sept 30.
From Oct 1 to the end of the year it was apparently increased to $59/day
You can not use the $59/day for the entire year – only from October 1st on.
NO, you need to amend your statement again. The per diem rate change took effect during the 2010 tax year. The correct rate for truck drivers for the 2012 tax year is 59./day for the entire year and a driver can deduct 80% of any un-reimbursed meal expenses.