Is it possible to claim startup costs in the following year, if I just amortized and depreciated the items in the prior year?

[Anonymous]

If I started a business in the end of the year such as Nov of 2016, can I forgo claiming startup expenses and just amortized them over the next several years since I had no income in 2016?  Is it also possible to claim startup costs in the following year?

[MinhT · Accepted solution]

Yes, you can elect to deduct up to $5,000 of start up costs in the year in which the active trade or business begins. Any remaining costs must be amortized.

If you started your business in 2016 but it begins to become active only in 2017, you can deduct up to $5,000 of start-up costs in 2017.

You can also elect not to deduct those start-costs and amortize them.  Start-up costs are amortized over a period of 180 months (15 years).

Please read this IRS document for more information:

https://www.irs.gov/publications/p535/ch07.html