You Decide: Week 6
What constitutes a business expense?
The difference between a business and a hobby.
The difference between the cash and accrual methods.

I would like to thank you in advance for choosing me as your tax representative and would like to take this moment to go over some regulations on business expenses so that you can which deductions apply to you and which don’t. To begin with any business expenses are the cost associated with operating a business or being a self-employed taxpayer. These expenses are usually deducted if the business is operated to make a profit.
Deducting business expenses on yearly taxes benefits business owners or self-employed people because write-offs help reduce tax liability. Business owners pay taxes the same as employees. The only difference is that business owners must set aside a percentage of their income and pay their taxes quarterly. Because taxes aren't automatically taken from their pay, paying taxes quarterly can result in a huge lump-sum payment. By taking advantage of certain deductions, business owners can save money and possibly receive a tax return.
In order to understand if you can actually report your expenses associated with the time and money you have spent on your’65 mustang engine you first must ask yourself a few questions that would help you determine if you have a small business or if it is a hobby. It is important to understand and know the difference between the two because of the various tax, insurance, and legal implications. Jackson, Is the activity being undertaken for commercial reasons? Do you have the purpose and prospect of making a profit? Are you regularly and repetitively undertaking the activities? And finally is your activity planned, organized and carried on in a business-like manner?
By your initial explanation it sounds like this was a one-time activity that you conducted as a hobby. To benefit from business expenses, it's imperative to maintain accurate records and keep a list of every business expense. This includes monthly recurring expenses, as well as any one-time or miscellaneous expense. You can have a file folder devoted entirely to business expenses, and you can create a spreadsheet that calculates your business expenses at the end of