Tax Deductions for Performing Artists Checklist
To be tax deductible, expenses must be actually incurred and must be directly connected with your income earning activity. If an expense has joint business and personal purposes, only the business-related portion may be claimed as a tax deduction. Receipts are essential to prove an expense was incurred.
Expenses incurred before you become a performing artist are not deductible.
- Clothing, uniforms, footwear and their cleaning and maintenance (if worn only for performances)
- Coaching classes: acting, singing, dancing, etc
- Computers and software, to the extent used in producing performance income
- Instruments and equipment: direct deductions or depreciation of your own instruments and equipment; repairs and maintenance; hire of instruments and equipment
- Fares (for performance-related travel)
- Fitness expenses, including chiropractic/massage/physiotherapy (only if physical fitness and activity is an essential element of income-earning)
- Grooming and clothing (only if specific to the performance)
- Home office/home studio expenses
- Insurance of equipment, income replacement insurance
- Motor vehicle expenses in specific circumstances
- Parking fees
- Photographs for maintaining a photographic portfolio for publicity purposes (but not the cost of the initial portfolio)
- Professional library, deductions and depreciation on books, tapes, CDs records and videos
- Self education expenses, providing there is a connection between the self education and current income-earning activities
- Technical or professional publications
- Telephone, mobile phone, etc connected with performances
- Television receivers, video recorders and CD players, to the extent used in relation to performing
- Theatre/film tickets
- Transport expenses
- Travel and accommodation expenses
- Union fees and professional association fees
- Management, agents, accountants, professional advisors fees
- Interest on loans eg. for the purchase of instruments and equipment
