26 Tax Write-Offs for Brewers
NAICS business codeYour NAICS business code is a six-digit string of numbers that shows the type of work your business does. NAICS stands for North American Industry Classification System. When you do your taxes, you'll enter it in Box B of your Schedule C.312000
Reviewed bySabrina Wiechart, CPASabrina is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with over 15 years of experience in tax preparation, planning, and S-Corp compliance. She holds a Master’s in Accounting and specializes in helping self-employed individuals make smart tax decisions. Sabrina is passionate about simplifying the S-Corp process and making sure every client keeps more of what they earn.Is there anything better than kicking back with a perfectly-chilled glass of your best artisanal beer? What if we told you that you could save money on your taxes just from crafting that fine brew?
It’s true! Simply by claiming write-offs of all your ordinary business expenses on your tax return, you can hop back on your savings game and keep more of your hard-earned wages fermenting in your wallet.
At Keeper, we make saving money easy, by compiling all the best write-offs for brewers in one place. It’s the yeast we could do!
All ingredients used to brew beer (or make wine) are considered tax write-offs.
Filtration systems, malt mills, and other equipment required to brew beer are write-offs.
Ingredients and other materials consumed brewing stay in cost of goods sold on Box 38.
Any maintenance or repairs needed for your equipment to operate are fully deductible.
Bottles and cans to package your beer can be deducted from your taxes.
Ad campaigns on Google, Meta, TikTok, and more are all deductible on your taxes.
Business cards, brochures, service menus, and flyers promoting your business are deductible.
Classes you take to enhance your skills after getting your license are tax write-offs.
This covers training that maintains or improves skills for the work you already do. Courses that qualify you for a new trade or profession are not deductible.
Keeping up with the latest trends and techniques with books and courses can be written off.
This covers training that maintains or improves skills for the work you already do. Courses that qualify you for a new trade or profession are not deductible.
Squarespace, Wix, GoDaddy, and other website service fees are fully tax-deductible.
Federal and state alcohol excise taxes, your TTB Brewer's Notice, state manufacturing license and any required excise bond are all deductible.
Write off the fees you pay to contract labor to help you complete projects.
Pay any one contractor $600 or more in a year and you'll need to file a Form 1099-NEC for them.
A deposit you get back isn't an expense. Once a keg is lost, damaged or the deposit is forfeited, that cost belongs in cost of goods sold.
A deposit you get back isn't an expense. Once a keg is lost, damaged or the deposit is forfeited, that cost belongs in cost of goods sold.
If you drive for work ...
Working as a brewer might involve hopping around town for a number of reasons: picking up brewing supplies or meeting with a vendor or client. If you drive for those things, remember to write off vehicle expenses.
Parking for a meeting downtown, or any other work trip, is tax-deductible!
A toll while driving to or from a work destination is tax-deductible!
If you buy a new car, you can write off part of the cost every year for five years.
Flashlights, tire iron, duct tape, and other tools you may need in your vehicle are deductible.
Car insurance monthly fees, registration, even roadside assistance are partially deductible — if you use the actual expense method. The standard mileage rate already covers them.
Oil changes, repairs, and regular checkups are deductible if you use the actual expense method. Take the standard mileage rate instead and they're already baked into your per-mile deduction.
If you discuss work at a restaurant ...
If you venture away from your own brewery for food or drinks with mentors, partners, or fellow brewers, you can write the cost off as a business meal — as long as the purpose of the meeting is to talk shop.
If you discuss work with a coworker, mentor, client, or prospective client, it's a write-off — 50% of the tab.
If you leave town for work ...
Promotion and continued learning are two big success factors for self-employed people. You might need to travel to a beer festival to sell your product or to an industry conference or workshop to network and learn about industry trends. When you do travel for work, remember that you can write off associated costs.
Planes, trains, and car rentals are all work-related travel costs that can be written off.
When you travel for work, lodging expenses such as hotel rooms or Airbnb are write-offs.
When you're traveling for work, your meals are 50% deductible — takeout included. (Long-haul truck drivers subject to DOT hours-of-service rules can deduct 80%.)
If you work from home ...
Why might a brewer work from home and get to claim home office expenses on their taxes? A few examples include working on client development, industry research, and managing paperwork and finances, and storing supplies — or inventory — at your place.
A desk, chairs, lamps, and other home office necessities are all tax write-offs. Anything over about $2,500 gets depreciated on Form 4562 instead of written off all at once.
Repairs just for your home office are 100% deductible. Repairs to the rest of your home count too, prorated by your business-use percentage on Form 8829.
Gotta keep the lights on in your home office! A portion of your electricity bill counts.
Whether it's rental or homeowners insurance, you can write off a portion through your home office deduction.
It'd be hard to work in an office without running water, huh? Your water bill counts.
You need internet to do your job! If you claim a home office, deduct it prorated on Form 8829 along with your other utilities. Internet you pay for on the road, purely for work, is 100% deductible.
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