Can I deduct professional development tuition courses and books

[adam-gibbons]

Is this answer still valid in 2019?  Is it accurate for completing my 2018 tax return?  Is it valid for tracking my 2019 expenses for my business?

[Marketstar]

You can deduct work-related education to maintain or improve your skills in your present job, career, or profession, but you cannot deduct expenses to train or qualify for a new job, career, or profession.

Work related education is an employee business expense.

To deduct employee business expenses, you must have enough itemized deductions (ie. Medical, mortgage interest, property taxes, charitable giving, ect) to exceed your Standard Deduction. If you itemize, your deduction is limited to the extent that it exceeds 2% of your Adjusted Gross Income.

So, you may not gain a tax benefit from this deduction.

To report work related education expenses in TurboTax:

• Click My Account (Top right of your screen).
• Select Tools.
• In the pop up window, select Topic Search.
• In the search bar, type in 2106
• Highlight it and select GO, and follow the prompts.

See Any Other Expenses? page

Education Expenses, 6th category down

[sonjaprice]

Hello, 

I am a career coach. My clients used to be able to deduct their investment with me to help them get a new job in their same profession. Can they still deduct their expense in working with me? Did the tax laws change? 
Thanks, 

Sonja 

[Texas Roger]

As of tax year 2018 and beyond, employee related expenses for W-2 employees are no longer deductible as an itemized deduction with a few exceptions such as military.  See the instructions for form 2106 for the exceptions: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i2106.pdf

[tyronlund]

Hello, I'm trying to deduct 5k for an online course I paid for in 2020.  When I entered the info on turbo tax it did not change the amount owed.  I'm wondering why?  I used the standard deduction but I read on a forum in the course I paid for that people are claiming that they deducted the expense as a business investment.  Any info would be helpful thanks.