Can I carry over previous year's business expenses if I have taken the standard deduction in those years?

[dk603]

For at least the last couple of years I've gone down the route of itemizing my business expenses which are mainly equipment and home office. In those years the standard deduction was greater. Can those previous years expenses be carried over? If so how far back can I go? 

[xmasbaby0]

What?   If you are self-employed your business expenses were supposed to go on a Schedule C.   "Itemized" deductions like mortgage interest and property taxes go on a Schedule A.   Have you been incorrectly trying to put your business expenses down as itemized deductions on Schedule A?   Your standard deduction is not used toward business expenses.

 If you have not been completing a Schedule C for your business expenses each year you have been filing incorrectly and will need to amend your tax returns.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/self-employed/help/how-do-i-report-income-from-self-employment/00/...

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/self-employed/help/what-is-the-self-employment-tax/00/25922

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2902389-why-am-i-paying-self-employment-tax

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901340-where-do-i-enter-schedule-c

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/3398950-what-self-employed-expenses-can-i-deduct

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901110-do-i-need-to-make-estimated-tax-payments-to-the-irs

[MinhT1]

If you do not have a business, then your "business" expenses are not deductible. Job-related expenses are no longer deductible since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2018. They cannot be added to itemized deductions, therefore there are no carried forward expenses.

If you have a business, then those expenses (equipment and home office) are deductible as business expenses on your Schedule C. They are not carried over.

[dk603]

Thanks. I do have a business but did not claim those expenses because after itemizing the standard deduction was greater. Is it only losses for year can be carried forward? What if the expenses and equipment were more than income for the year? Is that considered a loss?

[Mike9241]

@dk603 

you need to see a pro to fix your prior filing to the extent possible.  those business expenses should have been reported on Schedule C even if you had a loss.   the problem is that if you had an NOL for a year the loss had to be carried back(if no carryforward election was made which based on how you reported seems likely)  only any remaining NOL from the carryback year could be carried forward. 

the other issue a pro needs to look at is whether or not you really had a business.   losses year after year might be deemed hobby losses and then you get the worse of all possible scenarios. hobby income becomes taxable but expense may not be deductible