Tax question - dress code means tax deductible?

[RED_RAIN]

I heard clothes for work are tax deductible if it's a work uniform.

Is this true if my work place makes me wear business formal and I buy suits, shirts, ties, etc, can I deduct these?

[[censored]]

no

[MrMon]

Non tax pro answer, but the answer is no. Uniform for tax purpose means it's a type of clothing that can't be worn elsewhere. Business formal obviously can be worn elsewhere.

[RED_RAIN]

The whole thing started when my hair stylist who dresses pretty good told me she writes off all her clothes for work. It's not an unifom or anything at all.

[mrkilla]

simple answer is no, though if you are incorporate (consultants usually) You have a little more leway.

[[censored]]

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The whole thing started when my hair stylist who dresses pretty good told me she writes off all her clothes for work. It's not an unifom or anything at all.

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She's breaking the law

[turnipmonster]

lots of people write off lots of things they're not supposed to and never get audited/caught for it.

[tpir90036]

Isn't the standard deduction like $5,000? I find it hard to believe that most people spend more than that on work clothes per year unless they work at a law firm or something and constantly need to reload on super nice suits. And it's not like those clothes are a Ronald McDonald costume that you couldn't wear somewhere else.

Sounds bogus to me.

[sublime]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The whole thing started when my hair stylist who dresses pretty good told me she writes off all her clothes for work. It's not an unifom or anything at all.

[/ QUOTE ]

She's breaking the law

[/ QUOTE ]

and you are a [censored] for having a hair stylist

[Luv2DriveTT]

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Isn't the standard deduction like $5,000? I find it hard to believe that most people spend more than that on work clothes per year unless they work at a law firm or something and constantly need to reload on super nice suits. And it's not like those clothes are a Ronald McDonald costume that you couldn't wear somewhere else.

Sounds bogus to me.

[/ QUOTE ]

The deduction doesn't apply for a law firm, but it would apply if you were a salesperson at Prada and could only wear the brand. The qualification is that you do not wear the "uniform" for anything but work related activities. Hence if you are an actor and happen to attend the Oscars and need to buy a tux to wear for the evening the deduction only applies if you will only use the tux for work related activities. For certain professions this line item is an audit red-flag.

TT /images/graemlins/club.gif

[cokehead]

TT, I don't think your analogy is quite right. Technically a Prada employee should not deduct their uniform, because they can use it for other purposes. Its not so much a question of whether they do actually use the clothes for other purposes, but whether they could use it for other purposes. The rule my accountant uses is that if you could wear it to dinner, its not tax deductable.

This deduction was designed for uniforms like police officers, nurses, ronald mcdonald costume, etc. Specifically not for suits, tuxes, Prada, etc.

Using your logic, if a Lawyer would use suits for work only, they are would be deductable (like an actor and the tux), but thats not the case.... If a lawyer needs to buy a suit for a trial, like an actor buying a tux for the oscars, its not deductable.

[BillD]

Its called the Dinah Shore rule. The late Dinah Shore wore a long skirt that was so tight that it was impossible for her to sit down without ripping it. It was deductible because it was only suitable for work.

[FatalError]

you can deduct anything, but be prepared to pay back taxes when you get auditted, my CPA has actually brought up the concept that we could deduct some borderline things and just handle them if and when the IRS contests them, in some situations this could work, i would'nt try writing off an outfit from ermenildo zegna though

[astroglide]

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and you are a [censored] for having a hair stylist

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DUDE, YOU GO TO TANNING SALONS

[OtisTheMarsupial]

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Non tax pro answer, but the answer is no. Uniform for tax purpose means it's a type of clothing that can't be worn elsewhere. Business formal obviously can be worn elsewhere.

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This is exactly correct.
And it doesn't matter if you atually do or do not wear it elsewhere, just that you could if you wanted to.

[OtisTheMarsupial]

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The deduction doesn't apply for a law firm, but it would apply if you were a salesperson at Prada and could only wear the brand. The qualification is that you do not wear the "uniform" for anything but work related activities. Hence if you are an actor and happen to attend the Oscars and need to buy a tux to wear for the evening the deduction only applies if you will only use the tux for work related activities. For certain professions this line item is an audit red-flag.

TT /images/graemlins/club.gif

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This is not actually true. It doesn't matter if the guy's style isn't Prada for weekends, the fact that he could wear it elsewhere prevents the deduction.

If you want to take some sort of deduction for your work clothes, just donate them to charity after you can't wear them to work anymore and take the deduction for your donation. This year is especially good for donations to charity because of the Katrina emergency tax Relief Act. (Just make sure to donate to their approved list and do it before Dec 31st!).