1st attempt at filing my own taxes....

PBS Tax Service charges me $450. to do my taxes. Go to their website and print out the form for the breakdown. Just fax all the separate breakdown to them and they catagorize it. If you make one mistake that cost you $450., it isn't worth it. Harold always figures thing several ways and advises me if I should take a full depreciation on a certain piece of equipment or space it over a couple years. Sometime that decision comes out to more than a thousand dollars difference.But if you decide to do them yourself, good luck ! I am a BCO also.
PS- even if you don't use them that form on their website is free to print out.

 

The instructions are online at the IRS site read them carefully for schedule C that's where most of your deducting comes in you'll use the front and part V (or I do anyway)
You'll also use the depreciation form if your truck isn't depreciated out and the form for business use of your home of you have a HOME office or use area to store parts and equipment. The goal is to eat up as much money as possible. my best deductions are daily per Diem and business use of home. Some people are scared of the business use of home but I've used it for over 7 years. I had friend tell me this once it's against the law not to file tax returns, but not against the law to owe money or make a mistake.
I use about 24 lines on schedule C. You will also nee to fill out the social security form and 1040 . you should be able to do it all in a day if your stuff is half way organized.

 

Repairs can be combined with maintenance, throw parts in there, too. Or you can list them as separate categories. Your choice.
Tools are supposed to be depreciated over time, not a straight deduction. You can put them on a depreciation schedule, then expense them under Section 179.
List hotels under business lodging, with them all lumped together.
Forget the gas. Figure out the mileage you drove your personal vehicle, for business purposes, orientation is one of those purposes and use the standard business mileage deduction which is 55.5 cents per mile and much higher than you probably actually spent on gas.
I list tolls separately and scales. But that is just how I do it.

 

BTW, there are not too many hard and fast rules on how to categorize deductions, but try to keep it consistant, year to year. Also, keep in mind the general rule from the IRS is anything with a life expectancy of less than one year is deductible, over a year is depreciated.

 

The main thing they look at is claiming all the money you get. You do know if your wife rides with you to "assist" you in loading and such you can claim a daily per Diem for her as well? That's just free money for the getting.

 

Not exactly true.

 

BTW, it doesn't hurt to learn what the "Red Flags" are, to the IRS that can trigger an audit. Home office is one of them. You can claim it, but be prepared to defend it, in an audit.