Business Expense Deduction Guide (2026) - Write-Off Categories
Business expense deduction guide: ordinary and necessary expenses, documentation, categories, and deduction limits. Maximize legitimate write-offs.
Summary
Business deductions: ordinary and necessary expenses. Categories: office, travel, equipment, professional services, marketing, insurance, vehicle. Documentation: receipts, invoices, business purpose. Home office: simplified $5/sq ft or actual expenses.
Key Steps
- 1Ordinary and necessary: common in your industry, helpful for business.
- 2Categories: rent, utilities, supplies, travel, meals (50%), equipment, insurance.
- 3Vehicle: actual expenses (gas, maintenance) or standard mileage rate ($0.70/mile 2026).
- 4Home office: simplified method $5/sq ft (max 300 sq ft) or actual expenses.
- 5Documentation: receipts, invoices, bank statements, business purpose notes.
- 6Limits: meals 50%, entertainment not deductible, personal use excluded.