Deduct travel expenses from tripif photographing scenics & submitting them to stock photo businesses?
I’m a retired pro photographer and want to travel (with my husband as assistant) and take photos to submit to stock photography companies. Scenics, local cultures, wildlife, etc.
How much of my travel expenses can I legally deduct from my USA income tax? Opinions? Experiences?
If the principal purpose of your travel is for business then you can deduct those costs, but you must prorate them between the business and personal purposes.
If the principal purpose is personal then you can only deduct the portions of lodging and meals (at 50% on the meals) that are directly attributable to the business purpose. No travel and transportation is deductible.
If the IRS determines that this is more of a hobby than a true business they will further limit any deductions that are allowable to the income you generated from selling the pictures. In this case the income goes on line 21 of Form 1040 and the allowable expenses go on Schedule A as a Miscellaneous Deduction.