Tax deductions for musicians
The instrument is the obvious one. Here is what else a working musician can deduct, from strings and setups to studio time, and what each puts back at your tax rate.
Free. No bank login. Snap a receipt and see what it puts back.
What musicians 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.
Strings, reeds, repairs and tuning
What keeps the instrument working: strings and reeds as supplies, a setup or a piano tuning as repairs.
Union dues
Dues to the musicians’ union or a professional association, and the work dues taken from union gigs.
Lessons that improve your playing
Education for the work you already do: lessons, a theory course, a masterclass.
Studio time and distribution fees
Recording your own music and getting it onto the platforms are costs of the business.
Hauling gear to gigs
Mileage to gigs and sessions, plus parking and loading-zone fees.
Subs and sidemen
Paying a sub, a sideman or an engineer is contract labor. A 1099-NEC once you pay someone $2,000 in a year.
Where a musician’s receipts go
Each goes on its own line of Schedule C. Start from this page and Reimburse reads your receipts as a musician’s, so the line is right the first time.
| On the receipt | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| An instrument under $2,500 | Supplies, line 22, all in the year you buy it, if you elect the de minimis safe harbor. |
| An instrument over $2,500 | Depreciation, line 13, usually all this year with Section 179 or bonus depreciation. |
| Strings, reeds and cables | Supplies, line 22. |
| A setup or a repair | Repairs and maintenance, line 21. |
| Union dues | Other expenses, line 27a. |
| A sub or an engineer | Contract labor, line 11. |
What to write on it
- Which gig? Mileage, parking and meals tied to a date show their purpose.
- Who subbed? You’ll need their W-9, and a 1099-NEC once they pass $2,000 for the year.
- Costume, or clothes? Only stage wear you couldn’t wear out is deductible.
- Out of town overnight? Then the hotel is travel and meals are half deductible.
A musician’s year
An example, not an average: a gigging guitarist and session player clearing $55,000, driving to gigs and recording an EP. Every amount is priced at your rate; change it below and the year moves.
| What | Schedule C | Deductible | Back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4,000 miles to gigs and sessions | Line 9 | $2,970 | $1,071 back |
| Studio time for an EP | Line 27a | $2,400 | $865 back |
| A guitar, under $2,500 | Line 22 | $1,899 | $685 back |
| A mix engineer | Line 11 | $1,200 | $433 back |
| An amp and pedals | Line 22 | $1,100 | $397 back |
| Lessons to sharpen your playing | Line 27a | $900 | $325 back |
| Posters, ads and press photos | Line 8 | $600 | $216 back |
| Phone, 60% business | Line 25 | $504 | $182 back |
| Strings, picks and cables | Line 22 | $420 | $151 back |
| A setup and repairs | Line 21 | $380 | $137 back |
| Instrument insurance | Line 15 | $320 | $115 back |
| Union dues | Line 27a | $300 | $108 back |
| Meals with bookers, half of $200 | Line 24b | $100 | $36 back |
| The year | $13,093 | $4,721 back |
Sounds deductible, isn’t
Or has a catch.
- Concert blacks
- Clothes you could wear out generally aren’t deductible. Stage costumes are.
- Selling an instrument you wrote off
- If you deducted it in full, what you sell it for is income, up to what you deducted.
- Driving to a steady gig
- A job you drive to every week, like a church or a residency, can be commuting, which never counts.
Questions musicians ask
What can musicians write off on taxes?
Instruments and gear, strings and repairs, lessons that improve your playing, union dues, studio time, promotion, mileage to gigs, and pay for subs and engineers. Everyday clothes, even all black, stay personal.
Can musicians deduct instruments?
Yes, by the share you use them for paid work. Under $2,500 an item it can be expensed at once with the de minimis safe harbor; above that, Section 179 or bonus depreciation usually lets you take it all in the year you buy it.
Are music lessons tax deductible?
Yes, when they improve your skills in music work you already do. Lessons that prepare you for a new line of work aren’t.
Can I deduct driving to gigs?
Yes, at the standard mileage rate or the car’s actual costs, plus parking. A steady job you drive to every week can be commuting instead, which never counts.
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
- Are equipment and furniture tax deductible?Yes
- Is your car tax deductible?Partly
- Are parking and tolls tax deductible?Yes
- Are business travel expenses tax deductible?Yes
- Are courses and training tax deductible?Yes
- Can you deduct what you pay contractors?Yes
- Are work clothes tax deductible?Rarely
- Is advertising tax deductible?Yes
Checked on September 25, 2026 against Publication 946, How to Depreciate Property, Publication 463, Travel, Gift and Car Expenses, Instructions for Schedule C and Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC. An estimate for your records, not tax advice.
Snap the next receipt.
Set up for musicians and Reimburse reads each receipt as a musician’s, files it on its Schedule C line and shows what it puts back.