Turner Posted February 23, 2011 Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 Hi everybody, I have asked this question to a few different people and recieved mixed answers. I am 80% through my commercial training. I have paid for all my training out of pocket, saving money in the summer and flying in the winter. Is there a write-off for pilot training? I've heard from some people that you have to wait untill you get your cfi, then you can write off past training. Anybody have experience with this? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodrop Posted February 23, 2011 Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 I recommend you speak to a tax accountant. But here is a link that might help you a bit too. http://www.irs.gov/publications/p970/ch04.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodoz Posted February 23, 2011 Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 It depends. Talk to an accountant. One possible way to write off training (and all expenses related to that training) is if it's related to your primary profession. One interpretation of this would be that a commercial pilot could write off their IR, CFI, and CFII, since this is furthering their training in their profession. If you were a commercial airplane pilot, maybe you could write off your helicopter training, as long as you were staying in aviation. Likewise, a commercial pilot or CFI might be able to deduct expenses for factory training courses and FIRCs that aren't reimbursed by their company. Key thing is to talk it over with somebody who knows the law and what the IRS will go after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADRidge Posted February 23, 2011 Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 My accountant says yes, but as everyone else has said... see what yours says. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MileHi480B Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 This calls for a joke: Client (talking to his accountant and attorney): "How much is one plus one?" Accountant (proudly counting on his fingers): "Two, of course!" Attorney (walks over and closes the door, then pulls down the window shades): "What do you want it to be?" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turner Posted February 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 Thanks MileHi, do you have that accountant's phone number? Thanks for the help everybody, I'm going accountant scouting tomorrow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heloflights Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 Not to rain on your parade... When I was taking my commercial training I asked my accountant this exact question and the answer was ..."you cannot deduct training expenses in anticipation of a career. You can deduct expenses once you are employed in that field"... Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pohi Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 I have filed those expenses as education expenses for the last few years. No audit yet, but then again, I'm not an accountant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AIRWOLF4LIFE Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 (edited) If you're an AOPA member, they have a tax guide that talks about deducting flight training expenses. AOPA TAX GUIDE Edited February 25, 2011 by AIRWOLF4LIFE 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turner Posted February 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2011 The tax people I talked too said I had get my cfi, then I could write off previous training. Oh well, next years taxes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klas Posted March 8, 2011 Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 While meeting with my acct this past weekend - he relayed a story to me about an audit he participated in with the IRS. The IRS chose to audit one of his clients, a DEA agent. The DEA agent claimed his flight training (for fixed wing) as part of his job expenses. IRS refused. Acct claimed he needed it because as a DEA agent, he MAY need his flying skills in the FUTURE, and got a letter from the DEA to back him up. IRS the reversed and ruled in his favor. Now it may have been that DEA letter backing him up, but at least in one case you can write the expenses off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gruberwaite Posted March 8, 2011 Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 If your flight training is conducted in conjunction with an accredited college that you have secured a student loan or paid for out of pocket then yes. Grants and scholarships don't count. However if not then only after achieving the commercial rating will you be able to write it off. Save your receipts for your equipment ie: headset, books, flight gear, because those are all required for you CFI training. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggie Posted June 20, 2011 Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 If your flight training is conducted in conjunction with an accredited college that you have secured a student loan or paid for out of pocket then yes. Grants and scholarships don't count. However if not then only after achieving the commercial rating will you be able to write it off. Save your receipts for your equipment ie: headset, books, flight gear, because those are all required for you CFI training. Does it matter what rating? Or can it be any/all ratings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helibear Posted June 20, 2011 Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 My accountant told me that one can only write off expenses to keep the job, not training for a new profession. So I started writing off once I had my first pilot job. So at least my IR and CFII was tax deductible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EYW-MIA Posted June 20, 2011 Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 If you're an AOPA member, they have a tax guide that talks about deducting flight training expenses. AOPA TAX GUIDE thanks for that, that link is very helpful. If you do not have AOPA member ship you can get student membership to flight training mag for 6 months for free and can access the website of AOPA after you register. I'm not advertizing for them I seen it the other day when I was on the website of AOPA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmsemel Posted June 21, 2011 Report Share Posted June 21, 2011 For the most part you are not going to be able to write off much that is going to do you any good tax wise. You can write off expenses like CFI Renewals and some travel expenses with regard to job search. Remember you have to have Itemized expenses to equal to or greater than the standard exemption. I did it for a while, it gotten to be a pain and it took my accountant more time to prepare my 1040, I think in the 20 years I did that, I might have cunt my tax bill 200 dollars one year if that much, mostly it was a break even deal. Didn't make enough money or have enough of the right deductions. In the end, I learned I am going to just live my life as I see fit, not for the Tax codes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DynamicallyUnstable Posted June 25, 2011 Report Share Posted June 25, 2011 When I did my ATP, I had already been working as a pilot for years and was still employed as a pilot. Decided to get my ATP before I got into EMS. When I did my taxes on turbo tax, there was nothing that I could find that showed where I could deduct for this. I think I'm going to make an appt with a tax pro and see if I should redo my taxes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hang'em High Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Not to rain on your parade... When I was taking my commercial training I asked my accountant this exact question and the answer was ..."you cannot deduct training expenses in anticipation of a career. You can deduct expenses once you are employed in that field"... Good luck!Heloflights is absolutely correct. In fact, there is a court case that goes back a few years. It was about an air traffic controler that wanted to write off his "private" rating, claiming that he wanted to be more familiar and better at his job as a controller, understanding what a pilot goes through. Surprisingly, the court or administrative law judge ruled that the ATC guy could write off his private rating, but shot down him being able to write off his commercial rating. My tax guy is also an aviation guru with his ATP and CFII. He gave me the case law many years ago and told me to keep it with my tax filings for that particular year, in case I was audited. (I never was). He told me that one could never write off training in anticipation for a promotion or future career as Heloflights mentioned above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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