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Thursday, Dec 8, 2011

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taxes
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By Thorin Klosowski

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Nov 29, 2011 6:00 AM

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The Black Friday and Cyber Monday Purchases You Can Write Off

If you just snagged a bunch of great deals on stuff for Black Friday and Cyber Monday it doesn't mean the savings end there. If you're a small business owner or you purchased something that might help with your job, you can write a few of those purchases off. Technology Used for Business If you purchased a tablet, computer, printer or anything else you use exclusively for work, you can write off all of it. If you're replacing an old computer, you can claim that as you personal one and the new as your business computer. If not, you have to figure out the percentage you use it for yourself and write off that amount, which we'll go through below. The same goes for tablets. If you're using it to read work related documents or for presentations, you can write off part of the expense, with depreciation. This year, you get 100 percent expensing on business purchases, so you should use it whenever possible. If you just found a job that lets you telecommute, it might be a good idea to keep your new and old computer separate. You can also write off purchases like a new laptop or cell phone if it makes it more convenient for your employer to get a hold of you. If you're on-call on the weekends, for instance, a cell phone can count and if you're doing work, so can the laptop. This is referred to as employer's convenience. You can also write off up to $25 per person for gifts if they're business related. So, if you picked up a fancy iCADE for $49.99 for your potential business partner who loves Atari games, half of that is a write off. You can also write off some of the clothes you might have purchased if you bought them specifically for work (these include the extra tight pants you purchased for your band's performances too), if it's clothes you wouldn't otherwise wear. That new flat-screen TV is a little trickier. If you happen to write about TV or movies, and you can prove you needed to purchase the television for your work, you can write it off. You'll just need to gauge your usage or place it in your office where if wouldn't be confused with everyday usage. Gauge Your Usage You might find using one of your favorite time management application helpful for gauging your usage, because if you're using a computer for both work and personal use, you need to gauge the average time spent on both over the course of a week or so. You'll use a percentage amount to figure out the rest. If your computer cost $1,000 and you spend 40 percent of your time using it for business, you can deduct $400. The same goes for any other electronics. Photo by Amber Rae. Technology Used Only at Home If you don't use your new purchases for your full-time job, there might still be ways to claim them on your tax return if you use them for a hobby. If your state supports Energy Star rebates, you might be able to get a small check for new purchases as well. Hobbies If you have a hobby that's occasionally a business (say, you have an Etsy shop, or your have Google AdSense on your blog), but you still have a full-time unrelated job, you can and should still get the benefits of write offs. In fact, CPA Gwendolyn Lynch recommends reconfiguring your outlook a little: I always recommend that people with side jobs/businesses start out acting like it's a business and not a hobby. If after a few years you keep having losses and no net income to show then switch to a hobby. That way you have much more to write off and plus, you never know how it will take off. Usually after five years of losses from a small business the IRS will examine you and try to classify you as a hobby, so I recommend after three years to examine yourself and beat them to it if you are not faring well. Basically "close" your business. If your hobby doesn't meet the qualifications of being a small business, which includes questions like, "Does the activity make a profit in some years?" and "Does the time and effort put into the activity indicate an intention to make a profit?" you can't write off any of Black Friday or Cyber Monday purchases. So, the fact you wrote a blog post about a Dancing With the Stars doesn't automatically mean you can write off a TV, you have to make a little money off of that blog. You can write off as much of the expense as you make. If you purchased a new laptop specifically for blogging for $400 and your Google AdSense income per year is $300, you can write off $300. Energy Star Unless you went all out and purchased something like a Biomass stove on Black Friday, the 2011 Federal Tax credits for Energy Star appliances aren't as good as they have been in the past. Most Black Friday related appliances don't count anymore. If you just purchased a new washer/dryer combo you're not entirely out of luck, many states have incentives for purchasing Energy Star products and you should have received a mail-in rebate card at the point of sale if so. If you didn't, you can check if your state has an incentive program. If not, you can see if you qualify through your energy provider on Energy Star's website. Photo by Allen Siew. Donate Your Old Stuff We mentioned last week how to get rid of stuff stored at your parents house and the same idea is at play here. If you just made some completely unnecessary or entertainment purchases that can't otherwise be written off, you can write off the donation of your old gadgets to charity. You will want to talk with a tax professional before taking any of these claims, but it's good to start holding on to the right receipts now.

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