Academic research data deduction for professors

[UniProf]

Hello,  I am a university professor. My university does not provide funding to purchase data for academic research. If I buy data to use for academic research with personal funds, can I write off the expense (approx. $10,000) for tax purposes. Thank you.

[Critter-3]

Sorry, Deductions for job expenses have been suspended with the new tax act.  See Deductions that have been suspended for 2018-2025

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/4482873-which-federal-tax-deductions-have-been-suspended-by-tax-re...

TurboTax will ask if any of these apply when you fill out this section.   You are encouraged to enter your expenses no matter what your occupation as the expenses may be deductible on your state return despite not being deductible on your federal return.  

The FEDERAL job-related expenses deduction is only available to people who work in one of these specific professions or situations:

• Armed Forces reservist
• Qualified performing artist
• Fee-basis state or local government official
• You're disabled and have impairment-related expenses

[Hal_Al]

 Even in the "old days" , job expenses were only a misc. itemized deduction.  You only got to deduct that portion of  your misc. itemized deductions that exceeded 2% of your AGI,  and then only if your total  itemized deductions exceeded the standard deduction (which was doubled under the 2018 tax law. .  (2% rule explained: https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2902781-what-is-the-2-rule ).