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Anton Shoetan, CPA

Can I buy a car for my business that weighs less than 6,000 lbs and still write it off?

Tax

Generally, any vehicle you purchase and use for business can be a tax deduction. The amount of the tax deduction is calculated based on the percentage of the vehicle's use for business purposes. For example, if the vehicle is used 100% for business then 100% of the vehicle cost can be deducted.

How does depreciation impact your vehicle's tax deduction?

Business vehicles are deducted from your taxes through "depreciation." Depreciation means that the full cost of the vehicle is not recognized in the year purchased but is spread out over several years. For vehicle's the typical depreciation period is five years.

How does the vehicle's weight impact your tax deduction?

The weight of the vehicle helps to determine the limits of depreciation. Based on the size of the vehicle, there are specific limits on how much depreciation you can take in a given year. Vehicles that weigh more than 6,000 lbs are exempt from these limits and can accelerate the depreciation, allowing for a faster recovery of the vehicle's cost compared to the typically five year period.

We hope this information was useful. What questions do you still have? What did you hope to learn that you didn’t? Was anything more confusing than clarifying? What would have made this information more helpful? Please send questions or thoughts directly to the author, Anton Shoetan, at cpa@taxceed.com. Thanks!