Can truckers write off the mattress purchase for the truck?

Yes. It’s equipment specific to the truck.

 

Yeppers, everything you do for the truck, and what you do for yourself, you set the standards, i.e. clothes toothbrush alarm clocks cooking utensils...........

 

Personal items that you normally buy for yourself is not allowed. Toothbrush, clothing unless it has the company name on it or specialized (steel toe boots or rain gear) and a lot of other items is not allowed.

 

That isn’t what my tax man says.

 

Absolutely a truck is one of the best write offs you can have.

 

Yeah your tax man isn’t the irs. That is what they told me, items purchase for work related use is allowed, toothbrushes and other items that you normally use outside of work are not. Is your tax guy an EA, if he is, he knows the rules.

 

although i never owned a truck, when i bought things like paper towels, Windex, a bundle of rags, washer fluid, oil, as long as i saved my sales receipts, i was able to write them off as work expenses.

even my clothing, boots, jackets, coats, gloves.

i was told, anything for work, as long as i had proof.

now, things could have changed in the tax laws/rules since i retired.

 

Two answers, the owner of the truck can, the employee can't. The unreimbursed employee expense line item was removed in the last tax overhaul. Companies can still deduct equipment expenses, employees just got the bigger standard deduction.

 

This^^

You have to own the truck/business... company drivers can not write off unreimbursed business expenses. Line item removed with higher deduction. We miss per diem most of all...