# tax question. claiming your tools
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/tax-question-claiming-your-tools/208736
**Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic
**Created:** [January 31, 2011, 7:13pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/tax-question-claiming-your-tools/208736 "2011-01-31T19:13:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ImsloIkno](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ImsloIkno)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2011, 7:13pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/tax-question-claiming-your-tools/208736/1 "2011-01-31T19:13:38Z")
well i bought around $1400 worth of tools this year and was told i could itemize or what ever its called on my taxes to get a return on them since i use them for my job.
has anyone done this and was it hard or easy?
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### Author:  [@bracketracer](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/bracketracer)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2011, 4:29am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/tax-question-claiming-your-tools/208736/2 "2011-02-01T04:29:57Z")
If you already do itemized deductions, then no problem. Easy. Just ask your tool guy for a statement from last year to keep.
If you do standard deduction, then it’s moot.
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### Author:  [@Jagermeister](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jagermeister)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/tax-question-claiming-your-tools/208736/3 "2011-02-01T04:42:11Z")
Depends on if your an employee or independent contractor.
Schedule C if your independent…this is essentially an important and beneficial form where you make a profit & loss statement for your business (that is, you business of being a mechanic…getting to expense the amounts you spent to make the income your reporting).
If your an employee, you should use Line 20 of Schedule A. **However, expenses here are subject to the 2% floor…that is they must exceed 2% of your adjusted gross income, which is shown on line 38 of the Form 1040.**
As Bracketracer said, just ask your tool man for a 2010 tax statement for your purchases. At $1400, it may not be enough to be worth it…
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### Author:  [@Tbirdsc1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Tbirdsc1)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2011, 4:49am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/tax-question-claiming-your-tools/208736/4 "2011-02-01T04:49:26Z")
Yes you can deduct them, they are included in the misc. deductions but these are limited to expenses exceeding 2% of your AGI (adjusted gross income). There are lots of item within misc like union dues paid, protective work clothing/uniforms and so on…
So if your AGI is say 50k, take 2% of that or $1000…you can deduct anything withing that category exceeding that $1000. Have you itemized in the past? If not then you will probably be better off taking the standard deduction…depends on a whole bunch of things, first do you own a home.
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### Author:  [@travisn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/travisn)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2011, 6:04am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/tax-question-claiming-your-tools/208736/5 "2011-02-01T06:04:26Z")
I looked into it but after having to amortize the tools since they will be used for more than one year it wasn’t worth it. I had/have A LOT more than 1400 in tools also. (but I didn’t have anything else really to deduct so the standard was still more)