Can I deduct as a business expense the cost of a writing coach as a part of my mental health counseling practice?

[741georgia]

I am a Psychologist and I have a counseling practice, and I would like to be a writer, can I deduct as a business expense the cost of a writing coach as a part of my counseling practice? 

[MichaelMc · Accepted solution]

Possibly not. Education that prepares you for a new trade or business, or to meet the minimal educational requirements for your current trade or business, is not deductible for tax purposes.

"Writer," as a profession, is quite separate and distinct from the practice of psychology. If you want to become a fiction writer, your writing coach is not a tax-deductible expense. If, however, you mean that you are intending to extend your professional practice into writing professional journal articles, textbooks, or similar clinical or scholarly works about the practice of psychology, that would not be a new trade or business. In that case, obtaining coaching to maintain or improve your writing skills, within the context of your current occupation, would be a deductible expense. If you are an employee, the expense would be an Employee Business Expense, deductible on Form 2106. If you are self-employed, the expense can be taken on Schedule C.

For more information, please see IRS Tax Topics 513 Work-Related Education Expenses.