5 tips to find more business tax write offs

Nobody likes tax time, but the more business tax write offs you can find the better off your business is. While some business tax write offs are obvious many people tend to overlook the smaller expenses and when it comes to business expense a dollar here and a dollar there can add up over time.

Here are some tips to help you find those business tax write offs.

Tip one:
Make a list of all possible business expenses. Do not rush when doing this because you might only see the obvious expenses. Some expenses that you might consider is paper for your printer, your coffee that you drink during working hours, computer software that is used for your business (if you also use it for personal use you should not deduct all of the expense) and the list goes on. By keeping track of your potential deductions you can maximize your business write-offs and can keep better records of the expenses.

Tip two:
Many people list a write off because they think the items have to be new to be written off. Just because an item is not new does not mean that you can not deduct its cost for business purposes if you have decided to use it for your business. For example an old computer desk you had in storage, an old lamp to put on your computer desk. Just keep in mind that you can not deduct what you paid for it when it was new, but you must use fair market value when determining the amount you can deduct. To get an idea of fair market value do some research on the item and keep track of the research that you have done the research should be able to tell the IRS that the desk is selling for this much at garage sales or thrift stores.

Tip three:
Another way to find more tax write offs for small businesses is to consult the IRS website or a tax professional. The IRS website always has an updated list as to what can be taken as a tax write off and what should not be taken as a tax write off. If you find the information on the IRS website hard to understand you can always do more research on the subjects online or consult with a tax professional.

Tip four:
Use business tax software that provides step by step guidance through a variety of deductions. This will help to ensure that you do not overlook any of the smaller deductions that apply to your small business such as utility bills, coffee or sodas for your business, etc.

Tip five:
Do not be afraid to take any deduction, basic rule of thumb is if you use it for your business you can deduct it as a business expense. But depending on the deduction you might need to keep better records to prove that you are using it for business purposes. For example computers and other electronics require stricter guidelines because they can be used for pleasure and business, the same holds true for computer software. With these deductions the more proof that you have the easier it will be to take the write off. Another common write off that is hard to determine is a home office, this is especially important if you run your business out of your home.

Just remember that the key to finding any business tax write off is to keep receipts for everything that you have purchased for your company or proof of anything you may have donated to charity in your company's name.