We have many clients who go to Washington DC each year, and you better believe that we write-off the cost of that 6 week trip. We deduct the cost of getting to and from DC, the cost of the hotel, and a per diem for food of $46 per day (which is half deductible).





The problem is that you don't itemize your deductions. In your case, the only way you could get a tax break for these expenses is to claim them against your moonlighting income on your Schedule C. Whether you can deduct these expenses on your Schedule C depends on how much you will earn moonlighting, what other expenses you have to claim against your moonlighting income, and how aggressive you want to be with your taxes.

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Replying to:

I have been moonlighting as an independent contractor and I am soon going to attend a 6 week radiologic-pathology course in D.C. very soon. Since this is purely an educational trip, is the entire 6 week lodging in the hotel, the travel to and from DC, and the meals deducitble on my Schedule C (I can't itemize my personal deductions).

Zip Code: cpa@mdtaxes.com