Tax deductions for massage therapists
The table is the obvious one. Here is what else a massage therapist can deduct, what most miss, and what each puts back at your tax rate.
Free. No bank login. Snap a receipt and see what it puts back.
What massage therapists miss
Not the laptop or the phone; everyone finds those. These are particular to the work, and each is shown the way Reimburse would log it.
Linens and laundry
Sheets, blankets, face cradle covers and what it costs to wash them after every client.
Oils and lotions
What you use on clients is a supply. Product you sell to them is inventory, counted when it sells.
License renewal
The state license and its renewal fees are taxes and licenses, line 23.
Continuing education
CE hours you need to keep the license, and classes in techniques for the work you already do.
Mobile sessions
When your home office is your principal place of business, the drive to a client’s home is business at the rate of the day.
Liability insurance
Professional liability for your practice, often bought with a professional membership.
Where a massage therapist’s receipts go
Each goes on its own line of Schedule C. Start from this page and Reimburse reads your receipts as a massage therapist’s, so the line is right the first time.
| On the receipt | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| Rent on a treatment room | Rent on other business property, line 20b. |
| A portable table under $2,500 | Supplies, line 22, all in the year you buy it, if you elect the de minimis safe harbor. |
| Linens, oils and lotions | Supplies, line 22. |
| A CE course | Education, line 27a. |
| License renewal | Taxes and licenses, line 23. |
| Card processing fees | Commissions and fees, line 10. |
What to write on it
- Mobile session, or in the room? Only drives to a client or between work places are mileage.
- Used on clients, or sold to them? Oils you use are supplies; oils you sell are inventory.
- Which license does this course keep? CE tied to the license you hold is the clearest case for education.
A massage therapist’s year
An example, not an average: a licensed massage therapist clearing $45,000, renting a treatment room two days a week and driving the table to clients the rest. Every amount is priced at your rate; change it below and the year moves.
| What | Schedule C | Deductible | Back |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treatment room rent, two days a week | Line 20b | $7,200 | $2,596 back |
| 2,100 miles to mobile sessions | Line 9 | $1,559 | $562 back |
| Card processing fees | Line 10 | $1,400 | $505 back |
| Sheets, face cradle covers and laundering | Line 22 | $1,250 | $451 back |
| A portable table and a hot stone set | Line 22 | $890 | $321 back |
| Oils, lotions and hot towels | Line 22 | $720 | $260 back |
| Phone, 70% business | Line 25 | $672 | $242 back |
| Continuing education hours | Line 27a | $600 | $216 back |
| Booking and intake software | Line 27a | $420 | $151 back |
| Local ads and a listing | Line 8 | $300 | $108 back |
| Liability insurance with a membership | Line 15 | $259 | $93 back |
| License renewal | Line 23 | $150 | $54 back |
| The year | $15,420 | $5,561 back |
Sounds deductible, isn’t
Or has a catch.
- Your own massages
- Personal, even when you call it research or recovery from the work.
- A treatment room at home
- Only if you use it regularly and only for the business. A guest room that doubles as one doesn’t count.
- A gym membership to stay strong for the work
- Personal, however physical the job is.
- Plain black clothes
- Personal. A uniform with your logo on it counts.
Questions massage therapists ask
What can massage therapists write off?
Room rent, linens and laundry, oils and lotions, your table, CE hours, license fees, liability insurance, card fees and miles to mobile sessions. Your own massages and gym are personal.
Can a massage therapist deduct continuing education?
Yes, when it keeps up or improves skills in the work you already do, including the hours your license requires. Courses that train you for a new line of work don’t count.
Is a massage table tax deductible?
Yes. Under $2,500 it can be expensed in the year you buy it with the de minimis safe harbor, and above that Section 179 or bonus depreciation usually lets you take it all at once.
Can I write off my own massages?
No. A massage for yourself is personal, even if it helps you do the work.
Priced at your rate
What a deduction puts back depends on your state, your profit and how you file. Change any of it and every figure on this page reprices.
I run in . I file , and this year the business should clear about , with from a job or anything else.
of every dollar you spend on the business comes back to you.
14.1¢ is self-employment tax, 8.9¢ federal income tax and 1.9¢ California.
Your answers come with you. Next is your first receipt.
What every freelancer can deduct
- Is your rent tax deductible?Partly
- Is a home office tax deductible?Yes
- Is your car tax deductible?Partly
- Are courses and training tax deductible?Yes
- Is business insurance tax deductible?Yes
- Are LLC fees and business licenses tax deductible?Yes
- Are bank and payment processing fees tax deductible?Yes
- Is a gym membership tax deductible?No
Checked on September 25, 2026 against Instructions for Schedule C, Publication 587, Business Use of Your Home and Publication 463, Travel, Gift and Car Expenses. An estimate for your records, not tax advice.
Snap the next receipt.
Set up for massage therapists and Reimburse reads each receipt as a massage therapist’s, files it on its Schedule C line and shows what it puts back.