They say it’s “no pain, no gain." But what if we told you that when it comes to your taxes, there’s an easy way to gain without any of the pain?
As a freelance personal trainer, you can put your ordinary expenses— from kettlebells to gym memberships — to work. Think of it as sweating out savings from your tax bill.
Schedule C, Box 22
Fitness equipment, like weights, resistance bands, and mats can all be written off.
Schedule C, Box 27a
Gym memberships or fitness classes you pay for can be deducted.
Schedule C, Box 27a
Spotify, Pandora, or other music streaming services you use while with clients are write-offs.
Schedule C, Box 27a
Educational courses and certifications to enhance your skills are considered tax write-offs.
Schedule C, Box 18
If you use software to keep track of appointments, write off the subscription.
Schedule C, Box 8
Squarespace, Wix, GoDaddy, and other website service fees are fully tax-deductible.
Schedule C, Box 8
Print and online advertising costs for your business are considered write-offs.
Schedule C, Box 18
Write off the tools you use to create assets, schedule posts, or pull analytics.
Schedule C, Box 11
If you need to hire an editor, designer, photographer, or other creative pro, write off what you pay them.
Schedule C, Box 15
Depending on your state's laws, you may need insurance to keep your fitness business running. (Or you might just want it to protect yourself.) Luckily, that's a write-off.
Schedule C, Box 8
Business cards, postcards, and other materials used to promote yourself are deductible.
If you use your car for your physical training business, like to meet a client or attend a fitness class, you can write off some of your car expenses.
Keep in mind: the portion you can write off is equivalent to the percentage you use your car for work. So if you use your car 70% of the time for personal reasons, you can only write off 30% of your car expenses.
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.
You might meet with a client over a meal to talk about their fitness goals or with a fellow trainer or instructor to talk about strategies for growing your business.
Both of these would be considered business expenses and can be written off your taxes.
Schedule C, Box 24b
If you discuss work with a coworker, mentor, client, or prospective client, it's a write-off!
Have your eye on an industry conference that could be a great networking opportunity? Go for it! The same goes for teaching a class at an out-of-town retreat, or meeting with a client who might sign you on for the season.
As long as the trip is directly business-related, you can write your travel costs off on your taxes.
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!
Why might a physical trainer work from home?
- To manage finances and paperwork
- To conduct industry research
- To work on client development
- To create manage their professional social media accounts
If this is the case for you, you can claim 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!
