How To Make Your Next Trap Shoot Tax Deductible: Writing Off Your Vacation
Pursue The Outdoors 06.22.11
This article is part four of series on tax deductible trap shooting. You can click these links to read part 1, part 2, and part 3.
NOTE: Getting to write off your next day of sport shooting might sound great, but if your goal is to outright cheat the government then you should probably think twice. Getting audited or accused, let alone convicted, of tax fraud just isn’t worth it.
Yes, you can deduct your trap shooting vacation expenses! The test is this: Was the purpose of your trip a vacation or business? How much time did you spend on business?
The best way to deduct a vacation is to see its true purpose. It has to be business related. This does not mean you can’t have fun and go sightseeing once you are there on location, but be aware that only the time you spend in the business portion is deductible. The transportation air or cruise ship fare is usually deductible in full, but there are percentage rules that often apply so only 50% may be deductible if you mix too much pleasure with business. Luca Scribani Rossi has a shooting school in Australia. If you attend this school you can write off the entire trip, even if the evenings after school were pure pleasure sightseeing the harbor, shopping, etc. You just don’t write off the sightseeing and shopping vacation portions. You can write off your evening meals (for the shooter).
Make sure you keep accurate records because the IRS treats vacation/business ventures as “all or nothing.” This means if you have a business trip and you have good records and a good purpose to be at the location related to business you deduct the entire trip’s expenses. If not, you can’t deduct any of it. What are good records? Just “receipts” for meals, taxi, bus fare, etc., and the “business purpose” for these expenses. Taking a taxi to a shopping mall or museum won’t fly.
Keep in mind this rule when you bring a spouse with you on a business trip/vacation. If the spouse does not increase the expense that expense can be deducted. So, air fare is not deductible, but a taxi or hotel room is. Meals can only be deducted for the shooter, not his or her companion.
Continue on to How To Make Your Next Trap Shoot Tax Deductible, When The IRS Comes Knocking
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