Like all of you I would guess, I use a cellphone as my main phone for my home based business. So, can I write off the cellphone as a business expense?

“The federal tax code says that businesspeople can write off only the parts of their wireless bills that are related to business purpose.” And just how the heck am I suppose to figure that one out?

Here is what the code says:

Count up all the calls you’ve made from your cellphone and all the E-mails you’ve sent from your BlackBerry. What percentage of those calls and E-mails were related to your job alone, and not communications with your family or friends? That’s the share of your phone bill that you can write off. And it’s the case regardless of whether you are an employee with a company-provided phone or you’re self-employed using your own phone for business.

Many in congress are ticked off by this requirement. They believe it is unrealistic and burdensome in a digital age like we live in now. Some members “introduced a House bill last month that would allow the business use of any cellphone or wireless device to be deducted from one’s taxes, regardless of how often it is used for personal reasons.”

With the current language in the code, how many home office warriors would want to take the time to record all of the calls and emails they send with their phones for business purposes? I would venture that only a small percentage. I know I won’t take the time to do so.

Just another example of the overloaded hog-wash we get from our tax code.

Source for Post: U.S. News & World Report