To my fellow LEO's out there, do any of you write off expenses you take on for work?

I write off my dry cleaning and save receipts when I buy new white t- shirts and the like. I have heard a few people have written of a handgun a year as a BUG. anybody have any experience with this? Any other tax writeoffs you use?

Do it every year. Listed as non-reimbursed business related expenses. I think last year was almost $1,500 or so. Off-duty weapon, cleaning expenses, weapons cleaning stuff, practice ammo, magazines, classes on my own dime on the weekend, travel in my POV to military drill and to LE classes. The list goes on.

see I never thought about the cleaning supplies! good one, any more?

While I haven't tried it myself, I know of guys that write off their underwear, socks, portion of their laundry detergent, batteries, car cleaning supplies that the employer doesn't provide, etc. This guy is really creative, but I don't think I'd like to be him shoud he ever be audited. That could really suck, trying to explain and prove all those expenses.

The other day, he was also attempting to tell me about how he deducts the cost of any meal interrupted by a call. I can't figure out how that works out as a business expense, but if his accountant suggested it...

Here is the worksheet:

http://www.cpa-services.com/download/LAWENF~1/LAWENF~1.PDF

Sunglasses, clothing, gym membership, union dues...just a few things off the top of my head.

It's has been a long while since I was involved in accounting for tax purposes, but I believe "dual purpose" expenditures are hard to write off.

For example if you needed to wear a business suite for work, you could not write it off.
But if you needed to wear a company uniform for work, you could write if off.

Don't take my word for it though. Please consult a practicing accountant.

I wonder if I can write off at least a portion of my cellular bill. I almost HAVE to have a phone for work and one is not provided for me. I make somewhere in the neighborhood of 2-5 calls a day on my personal phone for work purposes.

I would say that more than qualifies. I wonder if they pro-rate a percentage?

I have an issued, so I have never claimed mine. My home computer, yes. (Training evals, penal codes, etc...)

Used them all
new gun every year
ammo for practice
flash lights
socks
t shirts
shoes/boots
pens
computer

if I ever touched the LEO aspect of the job with it ....... it got taken as a deduction .

This post has been edited by cyanide: October 24th 2005 10:34 PM

Thanks guys, you gave me some good ideas.

Some say no some say yes I deducted it -- figured the 2 percent penalty would not kill me if it an audit did not allow it.

I wrote off an AK as I use it in teaching officers different weapons. Most weapons that I buy are duty related in some form or another. I try to make sure that I shoot a qual with them in some form so that they are clear as both a tax writeoff, as well as if I need to dump someone offduty.


I'm guessing you already write off any ammo you buy as training related. I'm able to shoot department ammo most of the time, but I always end up buying ammo at some point during the year, and shooting is training. If you are a firearms instructor, just about ANYTHING weapon related is a go. :smile:

yep, I am a firearms instructor so I can write just about anything off I suppose. I will be writing off all my .45 ammo for my 1911 as training. Never thought about buying a rifle and writing it off, might have to get on that.

I will often loan weapons to students as part of my own lend lease program, it keeps pretty much every AR15 and shotgun as part of my duty realted gear. I also do weapon familiarization gigs to officers, so other weapons fall into place with that angle.