Tax deductions for virtual assistants
The laptop is the obvious one. Here is what else a virtual assistant 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 virtual assistants 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.
Platform fees
What Upwork or Fiverr keeps is commissions and fees. Count what the client paid in full as income, and the fee as the expense.
Payment processing fees
What PayPal or Stripe keeps from each payment is a cost of getting paid.
A headset and a second monitor
Equipment you work on, all in the year you buy it if each item is under $2,500 and you elect the de minimis safe harbor.
Courses in the tools clients use
Getting better at the work you already do is education, deductible in full.
Tools you pay for to serve clients
A password manager, a time tracker and your own workspace account are business software.
A desk away from home
Coworking memberships and day passes are rent, in full.
Where a virtual assistant’s receipts go
Each goes on its own line of Schedule C. Start from this page and Reimburse reads your receipts as a virtual assistant’s, so the line is right the first time.
| On the receipt | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| The Upwork or Fiverr service fee | Commissions and fees, line 10. |
| PayPal or Stripe fees | Commissions and fees, line 10. |
| A monitor, headset or chair under $2,500 | Supplies, line 22, all in the year you buy it, if you elect the de minimis safe harbor. |
| Google Workspace, 1Password or Toggl | Other expenses, line 27a, as software. |
| A course in a tool you use for clients | Other expenses, line 27a, as education. |
| A coworking day pass | Rent on other business property, line 20b. |
What to write on it
- Gross or net? Platforms pay you after fees, so keep what the client paid and what the platform kept.
- Which client is this tool for? Software for one client’s work is easy to explain, and easy to bill back.
- How much of the bill is work? Phone and internet count only at the business share.
A virtual assistant’s year
An example, not an average: a virtual assistant clearing $45,000 from four clients, most of them found on Upwork, working from a spare room. Every amount is priced at your rate; change it below and the year moves.
| What | Schedule C | Deductible | Back |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upwork and Fiverr service fees | Line 10 | $4,500 | $1,623 back |
| A second monitor, a headset and a webcam | Line 22 | $620 | $224 back |
| The home office, 120 sq ft | Line 30 | $600 | $216 back |
| Workspace, password and time-tracking tools | Line 27a | $540 | $195 back |
| Courses in the tools clients use | Line 27a | $500 | $180 back |
| A desk chair | Line 22 | $450 | $162 back |
| Internet, 50% business | Line 25 | $420 | $151 back |
| Phone, 50% business | Line 25 | $420 | $151 back |
| PayPal and Stripe fees | Line 10 | $380 | $137 back |
| The accountant | Line 17 | $350 | $126 back |
| Coworking day passes | Line 20b | $300 | $108 back |
| Liability insurance | Line 15 | $300 | $108 back |
| The year | $9,380 | $3,382 back |
Sounds deductible, isn’t
Or has a catch.
- The whole internet bill
- Only the business share, even when you work from home every day.
- A home office in a room you also live in
- The space has to be used regularly and only for the business. A kitchen table doesn’t qualify.
- Tools a client pays for
- If the software is on the client’s account and card, there’s nothing for you to deduct.
Questions virtual assistants ask
What can a virtual assistant write off?
Platform and payment fees, the equipment and software you work with, courses in the tools clients use, a qualifying home office, and the business share of your phone and internet.
Are Upwork fees tax deductible?
Yes. The service fee Upwork keeps is a business expense, under commissions and fees. Report the full amount clients paid as income, so your books match what the platform reports.
Can I write off my desk chair and monitor?
Yes, if you use them for the work. Under $2,500 an item they can be expensed in the year you buy them; used partly for personal things, only the business share counts.
Do I need a separate room for the home office deduction?
No, but the space has to be used regularly and only for the business, and be your principal place of business. A corner of a room can qualify if nothing else happens there.
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 bank and payment processing fees tax deductible?Yes
- Is a home office tax deductible?Yes
- Is home internet tax deductible?Partly
- Is your phone bill tax deductible?Partly
- Are software subscriptions tax deductible?Yes
- Are equipment and furniture tax deductible?Yes
- Are courses and training tax deductible?Yes
- Is a coworking membership tax deductible?Yes
Checked on September 25, 2026 against Instructions for Schedule C, Publication 587, Business Use of Your Home and Publication 946, How to Depreciate Property. An estimate for your records, not tax advice.
Snap the next receipt.
Set up for virtual assistants and Reimburse reads each receipt as a virtual assistant’s, files it on its Schedule C line and shows what it puts back.