Tax Write-Offs for Virtual Assistants
Virtual assistants run entire client back-offices from a home workspace — managing inboxes and calendars, updating project boards, and hopping between a dozen SaaS logins before lunch. The home office is usually the single biggest deduction, backed by internet costs, a proper monitor-and-headset setup, and the scheduling tools that keep multiple clients organized. Platform commissions and payment processor fees silently shave a slice off every invoice, and those fees are deductible too. Because VA margins depend on volume, catching every one of these small recurring expenses matters more than in most professions.
14 deductions virtual assistants should track
Each write-off below shows the IRS Schedule C line (or form) it maps to.
01Home office — your primary workplace
Home office — Form 8829 (Schedule C Line 30)For most VAs the home workspace is the entire place of business, which makes this deduction central rather than optional. A regularly and exclusively used area lets you deduct a share of rent or mortgage interest, utilities, and insurance via Form 8829, or use the simplified square-footage method.
02Scheduling and project-management SaaS
Other expenses — Line 27aSubscriptions to Calendly-style schedulers, Asana or ClickUp boards, and time-tracking tools are the operating system of a VA business. Even seats you pay for to work inside a client's stack are deductible if the client doesn't reimburse them.
03Second monitor, headset, and webcam
Office expense — Line 18A dual-screen setup for juggling a client's inbox and calendar side by side, plus a quality headset and webcam for daily check-in calls, are deductible equipment purchases. Lower-cost items can typically be expensed in the year of purchase.
04Business-use percentage of home internet
Utilities — Line 25Your internet connection is the pipeline for every task you deliver, so the business-use share of the bill is deductible. Pick a defensible percentage based on actual usage and keep the math consistent from year to year.
05Templates and course purchases
Other expenses — Line 27aSOP templates, email-management frameworks, and VA-skills courses that sharpen the services you already offer are generally deductible education and materials. Courses aimed at launching an entirely different business line may be treated differently.
06Payment processor fees
Commissions and fees — Line 10The cut Stripe, PayPal, or Wise takes from each client payment is a deductible fee, even though you never see the money. Report your gross invoiced income and deduct the fees rather than reporting only the net deposits.
07VA agency and platform commissions
Commissions and fees — Line 10If you source clients through a VA agency or marketplace, the platform's commission on each contract is deductible. Download the platform's annual earnings and fee summary so the deduction matches what they report.
08Facebook and Instagram ads for your services
Advertising — Line 8Boosted posts and ad campaigns promoting your VA packages to small-business owners are advertising expenses. Costs for a lead-magnet landing page or email-list tool used to convert those leads fit the same line.
09Business-use share of your phone
Utilities — Line 25Client texts, app notifications, and calls you handle on your personal phone justify deducting the business-use portion of your plan. VAs who manage clients' phone lines or WhatsApp accounts often have a higher business percentage than average.
10Laptop or desktop computer
Depreciation and Section 179 — Line 13The computer you deliver every client task on is a capital purchase that can be depreciated or expensed under Section 179 or de minimis rules. Split the deduction by business-use percentage if the machine also serves personal life.
11Password manager and security tools
Other expenses — Line 27aClients hand VAs the keys to their inboxes and accounts, so a paid password manager, VPN, and two-factor hardware keys are legitimate business security costs. These small subscriptions are frequently overlooked at tax time.
12Office supplies and printed materials
Supplies — Line 22Notebooks, planners, printer ink, and mailing supplies used for client work are deductible supplies. VAs who handle physical mail or gifting programs for clients accumulate more here than expected.
13Professional website and email hosting
Other expenses — Line 27aHosting for your services website, your booking page, and a professional email domain are costs of looking credible to prospective clients. Annual renewals are deductible in the year paid.
14Bookkeeping and tax-prep software or services
Legal and professional services — Line 17The tools or professionals you use to track income across multiple clients and prepare your Schedule C are deductible professional services. This includes the business portion of tax-preparation fees.
Track these deductions automatically
Stop guessing which virtual assistant expenses count. Snap receipts, let AI map every expense to its IRS Schedule C line, and export a CPA-ready tax package at filing time. Free plan available — no credit card, no bank linking.
Virtual Assistant tax questions, answered
I work entirely from home — how big can my home office deduction be?+
It depends on the size of the exclusively used space relative to your home and which method you choose. The simplified method applies a set rate per square foot up to a cap, while the actual-expense method on Form 8829 deducts a percentage of real costs like rent and utilities — either can generally be used, and you may compare both.
Are the fees my VA platform takes out of my pay deductible?+
Generally yes. If the platform reports your gross earnings to the IRS, you report that gross amount as income and deduct the commissions and service fees, so you are only taxed on what you actually kept.
Can I deduct courses I bought to add new VA services?+
Courses that improve or expand skills within your existing VA business — say, adding podcast editing to your admin services — are generally deductible. Training that qualifies you for a fundamentally new trade generally is not, so how the new service relates to your current business matters.
Do I need receipts for small subscriptions under a few dollars?+
You should generally keep records for all business expenses, though bank and card statements combined with vendor emails are usually sufficient documentation for small recurring subscriptions. An expense tracker that captures them automatically makes this painless.
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Disclaimer: This page provides estimates and general information for educational purposes only — it is not tax, legal, or accounting advice. Tax rules change and depend on your specific situation. Consult a qualified tax professional before making tax decisions.