Can I deduct this as an expense on my taxes as a CDL Student?

Last I checked these driver simulators are well into the 6 figures.

 

May as well just go buy Snowrunner for $50 lol.

 

The IRS generally allows you to deduct education/training material for your current job. It does not generally allw you to deduct expenses for a future job. So a truck driver probably could deduct the fees for attending a truck show, seminars on trucking and owning and operating a truck. But a truck driver wouldn't be able to deduct his expenses preparing him to be a real estate agent, or licensed electrician. I don't know enough about the duties of driver apprentice to know how the IRS or accountant would compare that to truck driver. You need an accountant to answer.

It's been a long time since I spent time and money simulating, my field was airplanes. Do the steering wheels for sims turn all the way around enough times to resemble a truck? I was never into driving sims. Back then the steering wheels would do one 360 turn. I think my last truck the actual steering wheel might have turned a 360 about 2.5-3 turns, lock-to-lock. I would spend time watching someone back trailers from the outside or watch YouTube videos with overhead and in-cab video of the steering wheel plus mirrors. If you understand what the driver is trying to do, what's the recipe he is following, you will be on your way to learning backing. Most newbies just randomly spin the steering wheel, they get 4 different "instructor" saying the same thing in 5 different ways. IMO, it's better to watch or follow one person's technique over and over than it is to watch or follow 5 different people doing it their own way with different names or explanations for what they are doing.

 

If someone is company driver their are no tax write off anymore. We get bigger standard deduction now. It was that new tax laws to make it more simple w-2 employees and tax return laws

 

In my amateur opinion with what you describe, it would make sense to allow deduction of expenses in that case. The problem is the laws, especially tax laws, are not simple logic. Also, I believe the way to understand a deductions is buying something that is deductible is not have the govt reimburse your purchase, but they reimburse an amount of your purchase equal to your tax rate. So buying a deductible item is getting a discount, but you have to file an itemized tax return. If not being able to deduct the expenses will be a hardship, don't buy anything until you talk to an accountant. I have used Have Tax questions? to get an answer from an accountant. I can't remember if it is free, I might have paid $10-20 for an answer. Your question is pretty basic so any accountant should be able to easily answer. Hopefully your state doesn't have income tax and an answer about the IRS is all you need. There are likely forums for accountants or businesses where you could ask for free. I think you can ask the IRS, but they DO NOT guarantee their answer is correct. You're tax dollars at work.