As a private practice therapist, it may feel like your finances are looming over your head.

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Will you manage to file your taxes accurately? Where will you find the time amidst a full caseload of clients? And, perhaps the most stressful question, how much will you owe the IRS?

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Fortunately, along with private practice taxes comes the art of tax deductions and write offs. 

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Though it may sound emotionally and financially daunting at first, getting a firm grasp on tax deductions can be quite advantageous and save you hundreds or thousands of dollars for your business.

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What are tax deductions?

Not every business expense is tax deductible.

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In order to write off an expense of your therapy practice on your tax return, Section 162 of the U.S. tax code requires the expense be: 

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1. For business use
2. “Ordinary and necessary,” defined as commonly accepted in your industry and helpful & appropriate for your trade or business, respectively

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When you complete your tax return and include deductible expenses, you’re saying to the IRS, “I earned X in revenue this year, but spent Y in expenses.” 

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You’ll pay taxes on an amount you reach by subtracting Y from X.

Most valuable tax deductions for therapists

Here are some common tax deductions to be aware of, especially for those just starting out in private practice:

Advertising and marketing

Any costs associated with marketing your business. For therapists, a lot of the time this can look like the costs for your website: domain hosting, web design, graphic design.

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Advertising costs can also include money you spend on tangible products, such as print advertisements or business cards.

Business meals

When you purchase a meal for business-related purposes, you can write it off as a tax deduction. 

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Typically, this would be for a work reason, such as a meeting with a co-worker or a consultant, or a lunch with a client. 

Bank fees

Pesky bank fees can definitely add up when you are running your own business and operating separate bank accounts for your business checking and savings. 

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Account fees, interest, and credit card processing fees can all be tax deductible.

Vehicle use for business

Granted you are using your car for business-related use outside of your regular commute, your mileage may be deductible, along with general upkeep expenses on your car. 

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In order to actually be able to use this deduction, you will need to keep close track of how many miles you are driving per year that specifically pertain to business use. These miles must be out of the standard commute between your home and work, if you are a commuter.

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You can use two specific methods here to calculate what from your vehicle use is tax deductible:

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• Standard mileage rate: First, multiply the amount of miles you’ve driven for business purposes only by the IRS’ standard mileage rate. For 2021, the mileage rate is $0.56 per mile. Note: the mileage rate adjusts every year in order to keep up with inflation.
• Actual expense: You’ll first need to determine the actual full cost to operate your vehicle, including license, registration, gas, oil, and upkeep. You’ll then multiply this cost by the percentage of miles driven for business use on your car.

Membership fees

If you belong to any professional organizations, such as the APA, these expenses can also be deductible.

Continuing education

Many therapists choose to continue their education, attending courses, workshops and conferences to further improve their skills and learn how to run their own businesses. 

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As long as these endeavors apply to your practice, the costs can be written off.

Office expenses and supplies

This is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic, as we’ve all spent who knows how much on home desk set-ups and supplies we may have already had in the office.

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These can include pens, scissors, staplers, printer ink, postage, small furniture pieces and cleaning supplies––along with anything that helps you stay organized as a therapist.

Software services

Any practice management software, such as TherapyNotes or SimplePractice, is deductible within this category, as it helps you to run your business smoothly and efficiently. 

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Additionally, any other software you use to run your business, along with business software such as Google Drive, Apple storage, or Heard, can also be written off.

Office rent and utilities

If you run your private practice from an office, your rent and utilities (such as a phone or electric bill) can often be written off. 

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If you’re working out of your home or sharing utilities for business and personal use, this can get tricky as you’ll only be able to deduct your percentage of business usage.

Business registration and license fees

This is particularly important if you’re new to private practice this year; you’ll be able to write off a lot of the startup business costs. 

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Renewal of your license can also be written off.

Travel expenses

Deductions from travel can add up quickly. This includes anything used for business purposes, and typically requires that you are away from your residential city for at least 24 hours. 

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Costs eligible for deduction include mileage, meals and parking.

Personal psychotherapy

Are you seeing your own therapist? Money spent on personal therapy sessions can often be deducted on your tax return as it helps you to improve your mental health and grow in your own profession. 

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Many accountants have differing viewpoints on whether or not this counts as a write off, so be sure to check with a tax professional here.

Depreciation expenses

This write off can often be one of the more difficult ones to understand, but essentially it entails any larger purchases over $2,500. For therapists, a common write-off in this category is office furniture.

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You can choose to deduct these purchases from your taxes in the first year after purchase, or in small increments over the years the item is used.

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Maximizing tax deductions for your practice

The list goes on, with additional write-offs available for costs such as insurance, legal or professional fees, moving expenses, and salary and benefits for any private practice owners who have employees. 

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Tax deductions can definitely come in handy, and the key to maximize them (and your sanity) is to keep all your business finances separate from your personal expenses and well-organized.

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This way, when the end of the year rolls around, you’ll have all of your business expenses in one place.

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While the above list is a general overview of some helpful write offs, it’s important to remember that your deductions can vary based on your business entity and personal situation.

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Want to claim more tax deductions? Check out our complete list of tax deductions for therapists.

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At Heard, we recommend working directly with a tax professional to file your taxes, and offer free, 15-minute consultations to help make tax season easier and improve the financial health of your private practice.‍

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This post is to be used for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, business, or tax advice. Each person should consult their own attorney, business advisor, or tax advisor with respect to matters referenced in this post.

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