Online communities are tricky beasts, requiring careful oversight and a positive attitude. By comparison, savings money on your taxes is a breeze! Especially when you take all the write-offs you’re entitled to as a freelance community manager.
Simply by writing off the business expenses you encounter every day, you’ll be putting the ban on giving extra money to the IRS. And we’ve made things even easier by compiling a list of the best write-offs for community managers. It’s almost like having your savings go viral!
Schedule C, Box 18
Deduct anything you buy for your office, like pens, binders, folders, printer ink, or a whiteboard.
Schedule C, Box 18
Software you use for invoicing, tracking expenses, creating timesheets, and so on is deductible.
Schedule C, Box 18
Software for scheduling or hosting meetings, like Zoom or Calendly, is tax-deductible.
Schedule C, Box 24b
Snacks and beverages you buy for a community event are tax-deductible.
Schedule C, Box 18
Write off programs like Canva or Photoshop that you use to make graphics to promote events.
Schedule C, Box 27a
If buy a phone or laptop and use it for work, it's partially deductible.
Schedule C, Box 8
Squarespace, Wix, GoDaddy, and other website service fees are fully tax-deductible.
Schedule C, Box 27a
Keeping up with the latest trends and techniques with books and courses can be written off.
Schedule C, Box 18
Write off the tools you use to create assets, schedule posts, or pull analytics.
It's no surprise that being a community manager often means driving around your community, whether to meet with contractors or community members, or to pick up supplies for the office or upcoming events.
Luckily, a portion of your car expenses can be written off when you drive for work.
Schedule C, Box 27a
Parking for a meeting downtown, or any other work trip, is tax-deductible!
Schedule C, Box 27a
A toll while driving to or from a work destination is tax-deductible!
Schedule C, Box 13
If you buy a new car, you can write off part of the cost every year for five years.
Schedule C, Box 22
Flashlights, tire iron, duct tape, and other tools you may need in your vehicle are deductible.
Schedule C, Box 15
Car insurance monthly fees, registration, even roadside assistance are partially deductible.
Schedule C, Box 9
Oil changes, repairs, and regular checkups are all tax-deductible if you drive for work.
As long as the conversation is work-related, you can deduct the cost of going for a meal or drink with mentors, supervisors, community members, or other community managers.
Schedule C, Box 24b
If you discuss work with a coworker, mentor, client, or prospective client, it's a write-off!
While the cost of entry to conferences or workshops can be written off, you can also write off related travel expenses.
Go ahead and include these also if you need to travel out of town to attend industry conferences or workshops, or to meet with other community managers.
Schedule C, Box 24a
Planes, trains, and car rentals are all work-related travel costs that can be written off.
Schedule C, Box 24a
When you travel for work, lodging expenses such as hotel rooms or Airbnb are write offs.
Schedule C, Box 24a
When you're traveling for work, all meals are tax-deductible. Even takeout!
Community managers often spend a lot of their time in meetings — and these days, those are often virtual.
If you work from home, whether your time is spent in meetings, planning events, researching vendors, or managing finances and paperwork, you can write off a portion of your home office expenses.
Schedule C, Box 18
A desk, chairs, lamps, and other home office necessities are all tax write-offs.
Schedule C, Box 21
You can write off up to $2,500 for individual repairs to your property.
Form 8829
Gotta keep the lights on in your home office! A portion of your electricity bill counts.
Form 8829
Whether it's rental or homeowners insurance, you can write off a portion through your home office deduction.
Form 8829
It'd be hard to work in an office without running water, huh? You water bill counts.
Schedule C, Box 25
Your Comcast bill is a tax write-off. You need internet to do your job!
