Entrepreneurial

A woman fills out an income tax form in New York. REUTERS/Mike Segar

– Stephanie Rabiner is a contributor to FindLaw’s Free Enterprise blog. FindLaw is a Thomson Reuters publication. This article originally appeared here. –

There is no definite answer for those of you who wish to know just what is tax deductible for a small business.

According to the painfully dry tax code, a business may deduct all expenses that are ordinary, necessary and reasonable.

Just what does that mean? Think about expenses that are helpful, appropriate and common in your line of work. Oh, and they can’t make you laugh.

Internal Revenue Service Code section 162 provides a list of what is tax deductible — including travel, meal and entertainment expenses — under the ordinary and necessary clause. It, however, is not exhaustive, leaving many expenses to your interpretation.

– Stephanie Rabiner is a contributor to FindLaw’s Free Enterprise blog. FindLaw is a Thomson Reuters publication. This article originally appeared here. –

Some people believe that home office deductions are akin to begging the IRS to audit your taxes. While this can be true in some situations, home office tax deductions, if done properly, are completely legal and can provide a big payoff.

So if you work from home, consider the following tips. Home office tax deduction rules are a bit tricky, but with a little forethought and attention to detail, you should be just fine.