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aloft · April 12th, 2005, 03:10

The short answer is "nope", the longer answer is "probably not", but there are exceptions.

If you learn to fly in furtherance of your present occupation, then your training expenses can be deducted. Examples are sales people flying private aircraft to further their sales territory or service existing clients more efficiently, or air traffic controllers gaining insight into the "other side of the mike". Such training cannot prepare you for a new occupation. The same holds true even once you have your commercial ticket and are going for your CFI; even though you can fly for compensation, "flight instructor" is a distinct occupation from "pilot" in the eyes of the IRS. If you're working as a CFI and add your CFII and/or MEI, those expenses can be deducted because they're furthering your present occupation as a flight instructor.

April 12th, 2005, 03:10	#2
aloft Old Skool Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Inside your OODA loop Posts: 7,152	Re: Random Tax Question....... The short answer is "nope", the longer answer is "probably not", but there are exceptions. If you learn to fly in furtherance of your present occupation, then your training expenses can be deducted. Examples are sales people flying private aircraft to further their sales territory or service existing clients more efficiently, or air traffic controllers gaining insight into the "other side of the mike". Such training cannot prepare you for a new occupation. The same holds true even once you have your commercial ticket and are going for your CFI; even though you can fly for compensation, "flight instructor" is a distinct occupation from "pilot" in the eyes of the IRS. If you're working as a CFI and add your CFII and/or MEI, those expenses can be deducted because they're furthering your present occupation as a flight instructor.