Can You Claim Tax Deductions on Custom Clothing and Uniforms?
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If you've turned on the TV lately, then you've undoubtedly been hit with a barrage of commercials from H&R Block, Turbo Tax, and other big-name tax companies. We're getting into tax season, which means that business owners need to take a good hard look at their numbers to see how much they owe Uncle Sam. But here's something you might want to consider: is custom embroidered clothing tax deductible for your business? Is it tax deductible for the individual?
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The Short Answer
Yes... most of the time.The Long Answer
The litmus test for determining whether or not a uniform is tax deductible boils down to two questions: -Is the article of clothing specifically mandated by your job? -Is your job the only place where you can wear the article of clothing? If you answered yes to both of these questions, then odds are good that the uniform is tax deductible. Let's tackle each of these questions in greater detail to clear things up. [caption id="attachment_1310" align="aligncenter" width="570"]
Is the Uniform Specifically Mandated?
Why do I keep italicizing "specifically?" Well, there's a world of difference between a blue polo shirt with a custom embroidered logo and a regular blue polo shirt. The first is tax deductible and the second one isn't. Uncle Sam cares about specific articles of clothing when it comes to taxes. If a company requires employees to wear a blue polo shirt, then that isn't tax deductible because they are not requiring one specific blue polo shirt. If a company gives an employee a polo shirt with an embroidered logo and requires the employee to wear that shirt to work every single day, then that's tax deductible because the company requires a specific polo shirt. [caption id="attachment_1311" align="aligncenter" width="595"]