Is a certification the same a license for tax purposes?

[14K]

I paid out of pocket for my job certification but was not reimbursed. Can I use these expenses as a tax deduction?

[xmasbaby0]

-W-2 employees cannot deduct job-related expenses on a federal return.  Job-related expenses were eliminated as a federal deduction for W-2 employees by the tax laws that changed for 2018 and beyond.  Your state tax laws might be different in AL, AR, CA, HI, MN, NY or PA.

If you live in a state that lets you deduct job-related expenses, the information will flow from your federal return  to the state return, so enter it in Federal>Deductions and Credits>Employment Expenses>Job-Related Expenses

[MinhT1]

If you are an employee, this expense isn't deductible.

Up to tax year 2017, job-related expenses were deductible as an itemized deduction subject to the 2% of AGI floor.

Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, itemized deductions for job-related expenses subject to the 2% of AGI floor are suspended for expenses incurred after December 31, 2017 through 2025.