So I was going through some of my expenses from last year for tax reporting purposes but probably more for an eye on next year budgeting and I got to wondering what some of figure spending each year on work clothing.
| Unit Cost | Qty (per Year) | Extension | Description |
| $34.50 | 6 | $207.00 | I buy a pair of Carhart carpenters jeans or pants about once every 2 months |
| $135.00 | .33 | $44.55 | I was did pretty well on boots this last year and only had to buy one pair and it looks as though they’ll last me at least another year. It used to be (when I do trade works I’m primarily a carpenter) that installing base trim wore out the toes on boots pretty fast but I guess since I didn’t do any base trim at myself last year the boots went the distance and better. |
| $68.00 | 2 | $136.00 | I do wear “sneakers” however when I am installing stair railings (which is what I primarily do when I am actually doing trade work). Well there really not sneakers per se they really like hiking shoes or whatever you would call them. Two pairs last year. |
| $10.99 | 12 | $131.88 | Socks, I never included these as part of my work clothing budget in the past but I think I am going to from now on since they are as easily as important as shoes. I’ll figure a pair of Thorlo’s a month. |
| 41.00 (avg.) | 4 | $164.00 | For gloves I wear football receivers’ gloves or baseball gloves since some of them come with padded palms. While I don’t wear them as often as I probably should I will wear them all year round regardless of the heat or cold. They are really to protect my hands from splinters, cuts, polyurethane glue, and hammer shock. Four pairs for a total of $164.Wow! Ouch! |
| $34.20 (avg) | 2 | $68.40 | Two sweat shirts a year for the colder weather. One hooded one crew neck. Since I am often in the shop around some of the metal workers and I never really think about it at the time these get destroyed by all the little tiny holes the welding sparks put in them. No wonder those guys wear leather aprons. |
| 12.00 (avg.) | 18 | $216.00 | I buy these tennis or polo shirts in different colors at Kohls and I always buy them on sale so this may be the only thing as far as work clothing that I exercise some monetary discretion and intelligence when buying. |
| $967.83 | Yearly Work Clothing Budget (not including sales taxes) |
Considering that I don’t do that much actual trade work anymore ( usually around 900 billable manhours per year) I think that’s sort of high. How does that jive with some of you other people out there.
Am I missing anything? How does the different kinds of trade work that you do effect the clothing you buy?
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“Function is based on more than utilitarian factors. Ambiance invites use.”- Sarah Susanka
Replies
Never given it much thought, your purchases seem normal, the gloves seem expensive but not overly,
Only thing I didnt notice was a coat or overhauls for outside work in the winter, but I did notice you said you mostly do stairs so Im guessing your mostly inside?.
CAG, ya know I never gave it much thought before either. I'm actully trying to work up a budget becasue if I can pay for it I wouldn't mind making this an employee benefit. An allowance for clothing.
Nah we aren't outside much at all and even rarely me although I do have the gear for all that still from years ago. Insulated coveralls and overalls and electric heated boots.
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"Function is based
on more than utilitarian factors. Ambiance invites use."- Sarah Susanka
You are way over what I would line item, but your friends at the IRS won't lose any sleep over it.
Qtrmeg with the exception of socks which I just a figured in there those numbers are historical. They are way over what I would ever think about planning to spend but since they are based on what I actully did spend I think they are the ones to go by. I'm just asking around to see what everybody else spends their money on so I can get a wider statistical sample.
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"Function is based
on more than utilitarian factors. Ambiance invites use."- Sarah Susanka
You are higher than I line item, but nothing the IRS is going to pay notice to. Trust me, I have been audited back til life began on this planet.
Do you deduct cleaning of said work clothes? Do the math, they don't blink at that either. Trust me, it costs more to clean them for a year than to buy them.
Am I missing something?
My understanding is that clothing cannot be deducted if they are adaptable to everyday use.
The only thing I see that fits that bill are the shirts with logo's
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Barry E
Technically, you're right... but how would you define "adaptable to every day use"? I don't usually wear the same sweatshirt I've been fouling up all day when I go anywhere else, same goes for jeans. They're usually too trashed for anything else. But there is still some risk of challenge- although the IRS generally won't pay attention unless it's an unusually large number or % of sales.
Work clothes are work clothes. Let the IRS agent that is auditing you say they aren't.
Last time I checked I don't wear work clothes in real life, do you?
if i had a life, that would be true... but working 27/7 it's all deductible... except for the new suit for weddings and funeralsMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
There are other type of clothes?
Went and checked the closet, did find a yellow leisure suit.
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Barry E
You do know what you get when you combine the two words "THE IRS" together don't you?
Another great lie to add to list is "I'm from the Internal Revenue Service and I am here to help you"
You buy a pair of pants every two months?!! Gee, when mine get dirty I wash them.
JAMIE_I could probably get by on a lot fewer pants that that but all the washing in the world doesn't take out polyurethane glue, epoxy, or paint. I'd wear the pants till they were falling off of me if I could get away with that but we work a very high end market and it's important for us and especially me to look good. Also doing stair railings I find it's touch on the knees of pants as it is installing base trim.
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"Function is based
on more than utilitarian factors. Ambiance invites use."- Sarah Susanka
You might look into disposable tyvek coveralls. I think they're about $3-4 a set. Nowhere near robust enough for heavy stuff like attics and crawl spaces, but they should hold up pretty good in the paint and epoxy department. And they make you look extremely professional -- more like a surgeon than a carpenter. ;-)
-- J.S.
Ya know John I actually have them and the other guys wear them fairly often. In much the same way that I don't wear my gloves as often as I should ( or dust masks and respirators either) I don't seem to put on the tyvek suits. The other guys will be standing in there in the shop in white coveralls with respirators and I'll be standing next to them in a new pair of jeans with no saftey protection other than my glasses that I wear all the time anyway. The good thing is all those guys are a lot more personally saftey concious than I am.
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"Function is based
on more than utilitarian factors. Ambiance invites use."- Sarah Susanka
"Ya know John I actually have them and the other guys wear them fairly often. In much the same way that I don't wear my gloves as often as I should "
I thought you were talking about underwear at first...whew!
My accountant sez if wear it to work it can come out of of taxes. 'course I get the corporation to buy it for me... EliphIno!
In my experience lots of glue makes the pants last longer!
Hasbeen
Just heard that strippers at some famous club in SF can't deduct their work clothes either, at least they can still take it off) EliphIno!
okay, I'll give it a try
Wrangler jeans, 6 pr a yr
$19.99
6
$119.94
Red Wings, 4 yrs old, good for at least one more
$185.00?
.2
$37.00
Slipon sneakers 4 pr a yr
$15.99
4
$63.96
12 pr cushioned heels, white 3 pak
$7.89
4
$31.56
No gloves
$0.00
2 sweatshirts with logo
$33.00
2
$66.00
chambry shirts with logo
$30.00
10
$300.00
Carhart jacket, every other year
$125.00
.5
62.50
T shirts, 10
5.99
$59.90
$740.86
Yearly Work Clothing Budget (not including sales taxes)
Hmm, hows about underwear?
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I wear Red Wings and finally got smart on last purchase and bought Red Wing toe guards. Hard rubber glue ons, 9 mths of trim and tile work, still got the toes. I think the soles will need replacements before toe guards. Approx. cost 6.00-8.00 but worth every dime considering cost of boots.
I like your accountant. Mine tells me the only thing I can take off for clothing are steel toed boots and leather gloves. Jeans and everything else fall in that "everyday use" category above. I go through a handful of gloves. Most of the time you dont need them, when you do, they only last a couple of days. Menards had a sale on them awhile back for 96 cents a pair, so I bought a box. Boots and me don't get along. I trash at least 2 pairs a year.
" Clothes make the man. Naked people have litte or no influence in society" - Mark Twain
I haven't actually asked my account yet.
This all a part of a new plan I am trying to put together although I did just hear on one of the business news channels just yesterday about two lawsuits where Polo Ralph Lauren and the Gap have been ordered to compensate some of their employees for clothing because the "look" constitutes a company requied uniform. I'll have to google around to see if I can find out more on that and like I said this is part of a new plan I am trying to put together and I haven't checked it out with my accountant or lawyer yet.
I started the discussion to try and see what some of you others are spending on clothing since I was sort of surprised and just how much it actually came to.
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"Function is based
on more than utilitarian factors. Ambiance invites use."- Sarah Susanka
I wont even spend half that, on ALL my clothes. We get free t-shirts at work, once we all got jackets.
Carhardt work shorts - 2 pair
Hickory shirts - 2 ea. (one with sleeves cut off for summer)
Socks - 2 pair
Oakley sunglasses 2 pair
1 pair Redwing 8" tops
1 pair Lacross insulated boots
2 pair flip flops
Total cost: $765
This is what we referred to in the Navy as a "Port and Starboard" wardrobe.
Actually, I'm being silly. :)
I consistently find my work clothes expenses to range from about $400 to $800 per year and your expenses seem pretty credible to me.
A lot of it depends on the kind of work I'm doing in a given year and whether I find myself doing a lot of outdoor work in winter and need heavy clothes or raingear replacement.
Some items last for 2 or 3 years while others are replaced more frequently.
My CPA has never challenged my expenses for work clothes nor has the IRS. DW is a Homehealth RN and wears tasteful casual wear most of the time for her work rather than hospital scrubs and we've never been challenged on that either. Jules Quaver for President 2004
My CPA has never challenged my expenses for work clothes nor has the IRS. DW is a Homehealth RN and wears tasteful casual wear most of the time for her work rather than hospital scrubs and we've never been challenged on that either.
The most important thing is just to keep good records... more often than not, if you do get challenged, as long as you can substantiate the deduction taken on the return (i.e. that you didn't pick the number out of thin air), the IRS usually won't bother. These days, they're looking for big $ adjustments or criminal matters, and have too many cases on the desk to waste time splitting hairs about sock purchases.
Ok so heres a twist,
Can I deduct my work clothing if I work for a company and I am not primarily self employed But do a little on the side?
Say I only did 700 of worth of work on the side in a year, and I actually kept records of work clothes parched and it was also 700, could I then show no profit and pay no tax on the what I made on the side?
This is purely hypothetical, but since its a new year its something I thought about after reading this.
I asked my dad who's is CPA but he had no idea.
I'm also assuming I cant deduct work clothing if I am not self employed.
If you itemize your household income, you can certainly deduct work clothes. When DW was working in the hospital, she deducted white uniforms and shoes she purchased. When I worked in industry, I deducted work boots, rain gear, etc. I would assume a police detective could deduct suits.
I can't quote chapter and verse of the tax code, but if I'm wrong, I've been successfully wrong for 30-some years.Jules Quaver for President 2004
I think the suit for the detective is "iffy" - would be here I suspect. Back in the eighties I HAD to wear good suits, silk ties, and decent shoes; probably spent >$10K/year - amount deductable = 0..
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
That was another question I had, If I don't claim any income from side work which was paid in cash, not that I would do that :) can I deduct work clothing such as jeans, boots, coat etc and what about tools if I have to provide my own, from what I make?
Guess I should talk to an accountant hunh?
If I don't claim any income from side work which was paid in cash, not that I would do that :) can I deduct work clothing such as jeans, boots, coat etc and what about tools if I have to provide my own, from what I make?
You can't deduct them from "self-employment" income if you are not reporting any self-employment income in the first place. You can still deduct them as miscellaneous itemized deductions, although you may not get the full deduction. Your best bet would be to declare some income (of course you would declare *all* of your income, right?) and then run the deductions through. Look at it this way.. if you declare the income but have enough in deductions to eat it up, you're not paying taxes on it anyway.
I know of people who have done sort of an unofficial check- if they're coming out ahead by not declaring on the side cash income, compared with declaring it and taking deductions for legitimate expenses, they won't bother declaring anything. Either way, there is always the risk of audit, especially if you're claiming a loss from self-employment (i.e., more deductions than income), so you should be prepared to substantiate whatever you do put on your tax return.
I'm also assuming I cant deduct work clothing if I am not self employed.
You can, but only if you itemize your deductions, and the deduction may get limited-- you won't get any benefit at all unless your total "miscellaneous itemized deductions" are greater than 2% of your adjusted gross income.
Back in message #27315.20 I
made mention that "I did just hear on one of the business news channels just
yesterday about two lawsuits where Polo Ralph Lauren and the Gap have been
ordered to compensate
some of their employees for clothing because the "look" constitutes
a company requied uniform." well this is what I been able to find out regrading
what that was about. From ReatailWorker.com (Sep 21, 2002 ):
and from the SF Chronicle 2oct02
JENNY STRASBURG / Retail
Clothing Industry's Apparel Rules Illegal
I had thought that I had heard that a settlement was reached but I haven't
been able to run down anything more up to date to check out whether or not
I have it straight on what going on with all that.
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"Function is based
on more than utilitarian factors. Ambiance invites use."- Sarah Susanka
Just because an accountant says you can do it doesn't mean that the IRS will allow it. And just because you or someone you know hasn't gotten flagged for that "everyday use" definition doesn't mean that the IRS doesn't have a bunch of caseload prescedent. Look on page 371 of JK Lasser's 2003 tax guide (in just about every store) for more info. The definitions are pretty clear cut.
very good points... so much of tax advice is subjective, even though many of the issues really aren't that complicated (more intimidating than anything). Realistically, will loosely interpreting these things get you in trouble? Depends... taking "aggressive" positions is always a gamble: ya win some, ya might lose some, with the added factor that if you lose big enough, the IRS can throw you in jail.
I'm certainly not advocating cheating on taxes- but the more aggressive the position, the better prepared you better be to back it up, and anyone who does push the limits should be prepared for the consequences.
Might I have missed a previous post?
Everybody to proud to buy used? I even buy used shoes, why not?
Get all work (as in physical work) clothes at garage sales or Goodwill or other thrifts. Around here, on Monday's GW has all clothing for 99 cents article - picked up 4 pair of jeans an 3 sweatshirts this week alone. Get'em too dirty and then use for shop rags. Send GW or other similar thrift orgs $500 or so a year as donation,and that's all tax deductible.
I think you're too conservative. Think again about the clothes you WOULDN'T HAVE to own if you were'nt billing 900 hrs. a year. I deduct $200 a year in socks alone.
Ditch