Question

Michelle operates a food truck. Indicate the amount (if any) that she can deduct as an ordinary and necessary business deduction in each of the following situations and explain your solution.
A. Michelle was stopped for speeding. She paid a fine of $125 for speeding, including $80 for legal advice in connection with the ticket.
B. Michelle paid $795 to reserve a parking place for her food truck for the fall football season outside the local football arena. Michelle also paid $140 for tickets to a game for her children.
C. Michelle provided a candidate with free advertising painted on her truck during the candidate’s campaign for city council. Michelle paid $680 to have the ad prepared and an additional $380 to have the ad removed from the truck after the candidate lost the election.

Answer 1

Answer:

A. $80

B. $795

C. $0

Explanation:

Only expenses that can be directly attributed to the business are deductible.

Personal expenses will not be deductible.

A. Here the only deductible amount is the legal fees of $80. The speeding will not be charged to the business because it was as a result of personal negligence. The legal fees affect the business because the speeding related to a business asset.

B. Only the amount paid to reserve a spot will be deductible because it relates to expenses for the business to make profit. The money she spent on her children is a personal expense.

C. There is no deductible here. These activities were of a personal nature and in no way related to the operations of the business of operating the food truck.