If you receive a W-2 as an employee at the end of the year, work-related expenses that are deducted from your paychecks (and are actual expenses to you and not reimbursed by your employer or advanced to you by your employer) can be deducted as an itemized deduction on Schedule A.

To enter unreimbursed employee expenses in your TaxAct® return:

1. From within your TaxAct return (Online or Desktop) click on the Federal tab. On smaller devices, click in the upper left-hand corner, then select Federal. 
2. Click Itemized or Standard Deductions to expand the category, then click Unreimbursed employee expenses - Subject to 2% of AGI limit
3. Click Yes on the screen titled Itemized Deductions - Job or Miscellaneous Deductions
4. The program will proceed with the interview questions for you to enter or review the appropriate information. Both the description and amount will be reflected on Line 21 of Schedule A.

TaxAct will use the higher of your itemized deductions or the standard deduction for your filing status in order to maximize the tax benefit to you. See Standard Deduction for more information.

If you receive a 1099-MISC as a self employed individual at the end of the year, you would complete a Schedule C to report both your income and expenses.  To enter amounts for business income or loss from a sole proprietorship:

1. From within your TaxAct return (Online or Desktop) click on the Federal tab. On smaller devices, click the menu icon in the upper left-hand corner, then select Federal. 
2. Click Business Income to expand the category, then click Business Income or Loss from a Sole Proprietorship
3. Click Add to create a new copy of the form, or click Review to review a form already created
4. The program will proceed with the interview questions for you to enter or review the appropriate information.