Your goal is to minimize the amount of taxable income you report so you can minimize your tax bill. Every deduction you recognize puts money back in your pocket, which for most independent workers means thousands or tens of thousands of dollars a year.

Navigating tax deductions can be as intricate as a complex design project. Deductions qualify when they apply to your freelance practice; in some cases that means assigning partial assets or applying a percentage of a total expense to your business income.

Here are the most common things you can deduct from your income when you’re a freelance designer:

1. Home Office Expenses: If you work from home, a portion of your rent or mortgage, utilities, and home insurance can be deducted. The critical aspect here is that the space must be exclusively used for work. It’s a simple calculation of $5 per square foot of space up to 300 square feet ($1,500 of total deduction)
2. Equipment and Software: As a graphic designer, your computer, tablets, and other design equipment, along with software subscriptions (like Adobe Creative Suite), are essential tools of your trade. These are deductible as they are necessary for your work.
3. Supplies and Materials: This includes anything from sketch pads to printer ink. If it's used in the creation of your work, it's likely deductible.
4. Education and Professional Development: Courses, webinars, and books that enhance your skills or are related to your business can be deducted.
5. Marketing and Advertising Costs: Expenses incurred in promoting your services, such as website hosting, online ads, or business cards, are deductible.
6. Travel Expenses: If you travel for work, such as attending client meetings or conferences, these costs can be deducted. This includes airfare, hotel stays, and a portion of your meals during the trip.

Accurate record-keeping is the foundation of claiming deductions. Maintain detailed records of your expenses, including receipts and invoices. Tools like digital accounting software can be particularly helpful in organizing your financial records, and Mymo for example can help support all of these activities, including categorizing expenses in a simple format to file your Schedule C during tax season.

Mymo is a financial technology company, and is not a licensed tax services provider. Tax estimates are for informational purposes only. Please consult a tax professional before filing.