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Is a GPS Tax Deductible?As an independent contractor mystery shopper, you may be able to deduct the cost of purchasing a GPS. Ask your tax adviser or accountant. In general, when you purchase products that are needed for your business, you can deduct their cost on the business portion of your tax return. Most secret shoppers in the U.S. will claim their mystery shopping business income and expenses on Schedule C. If you are only doing your mystery shopping jobs close to home in areas where you know how to get around, it would be hard to justify claiming a GPS purchase as a tax deduction. But if you regularly need to find businesses where you will do mystery shops and do not know how to get to them, you could purchase a GPS system and claim a tax deduction for the cost. So, if you are desiring to purchase a GPS and are concerned about whether you can write off the cost, analyze whether you will be using it for business. Perhaps having a GPS would enable you to accept shopping assignments that are a bit further away than where you are knowledgeable of the streets and routes. Using a GPS is so much easier than trying to read maps and printed directions as you travel around to locate your assignments. I remember reading the address of a business location and thinking that I knew where I was going ... but when I got to the shopping plaza, the business was not there. I had my cell phone and had the phone number of the business, so I called and found out how to locate them. I made it to my mystery shopping assignment that day on time. But if I had not taken along my cell phone or the phone number, I would have missed completing my assignment. If I had a GPS, I could have entered the address of the business and it would have easily directed me, turn by turn, to the right place. Maybe I should look for a mystery shopping job in which I have to evaluate a GPS sales person! Then again, I might save more money by purchasing my GPS through
GPS Deals.
You be the judge!
Click Here To Find Other Tax Deductions for Secret Shoppers
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