You can write off the business-use percentage of your cell phone bill, not the whole amount, if you're self-employed, by prorating the expense based on your business vs. personal usage, typically tracked via itemized logs (calls, texts, data) to prove the allocation to the IRS. For a single phone, claiming 100% business use raises red flags; it's easier to justify if you have a separate business phone or a dedicated office line with separate service.
Cell phones and internet deductions
The answer is, you have to prorate the expense and only deduct the business use portion. So if 30% of your calls are personal, for example, you can only deduct 70% of the phone's expense.
Only the business portion is deductible.
You need to determine what percentage of your cell phone usage is for business. For example: If 70% of your calls, apps, and data usage are business-related, you can claim 70% of your phone bill as part of your home office expenses.
For example, if your phone bill is $60/month and you estimate your work usage to be 25% and the time you spend working over the year is 11 months (minus annual leave) then your deductible amount would be ($60 x 0.25 x 11) = $165.
Electricity and Gas Write-offs
The amount of the write-off for these utilities is determined by the percentage of the home that is used for business purposes. For example, if 20% of your home is used for business, you can write off 20% of your electricity and gas costs.
If you take a tech deduction, the IRS may ask for documentation—receipts, canceled checks, invoices, or bank records—for the expenses.
For example, many freelancers who rely heavily on home internet may deduct 50% or more of their internet bill. Light work use would require a lower percentage. Keep in mind that if you are a W-2 employee, you cannot deduct any portion of your home internet bill from your taxable income, even if you work from home.
The IRS allows taxpayers to deduct up to $3,000 of realized investment losses ($1,500 if married filing separately) against ordinary income each year. This deduction applies only to losses in taxable investment accounts and must be realized by December 31st to count for that tax year.
You must be 65 or older by the end of the tax year to qualify for the new senior tax deduction, include your Social Security number on your tax return, and meet the income limits. You can claim the new $6,000 senior tax deduction if you itemize your tax deductions, or if you choose to take the standard deduction.
The section 179 deduction allows taxpayers, other than trusts and estates, to elect to expense a specified amount of the cost of qualifying property purchased for use in a business. For tax years beginning in 2026 the maximum deduction is $2,560,000, (2025, the maximum deduction is $2,500,000).
The biggest tax mistakes people make include filing late, math errors, incorrect personal info (like Social Security numbers), forgetting deductions/credits (like EITC), misreporting income, not signing forms, and making errors with bank details for direct deposit, all leading to delays, penalties, or missed savings, with using tax software or professionals helping avoid these common pitfalls.
You can deduct these expenses whether you take the standard deduction or itemize:
Avoid 100% claims unless you truly have a separate business-only contract. What if I use my personal mobile for business calls? You can still claim the business proportion of your monthly bill. Keep a note of how many calls are business-related to justify your percentage.
Common work-related mobile phone tax deductions include:
Not reporting all of your income is an easy-to-avoid red flag that can lead to an audit. Taking excessive business tax deductions and mixing business and personal expenses can lead to an audit. The IRS mostly audits tax returns of those earning more than $200,000 and corporations with more than $10 million in assets.
Many business expenses are 100% deductible, including advertising, employee wages, rent, supplies, and certain business meals like company parties or meals for the public, while personal deductions like student loan interest or charitable donations (depending on the type) can also be fully deductible for individuals. The key is that the expense must be "ordinary and necessary" for your trade or business or meet specific IRS criteria, often differentiating from the 50% rule for client meals.
The "$1000 instant tax deduction" refers to a proposed Australian tax policy, specifically from the Albanese Labor government in 2025, allowing eligible workers to claim a flat $1,000 deduction for work-related expenses without needing receipts, simplifying tax returns for those with lower expenses but potentially costing those with higher expenses, starting from 1 July 2026. It's an option to replace itemised work-related deductions, not an extra refund, and doesn't affect non-work-related deductions like charity.