The Yoga Teacher Tax Write-Offs You Need to Know

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You rely largely on intention and intuition as you take students through sequences. But those talents aren’t exactly helpful when you’re trying to discern whether your yoga teacher training, that weekend retreat in Mexico, or those leggings you splurged on might be deductible from your taxes.

Although each of those items can be construed as relating to your yoga teaching, that doesn’t mean you can write them off as expenses. Discerning which yoga teacher tax write-offs you can legit deduct can take considerably longer to figure out than that tricky transition, so we did most of the research for you.

What Yoga Teachers Should Know About Taxes

In order to write off deductions, you need to be self-employed. If you have a stack of 1099s stating your income from yoga studios or you have records of payments from students via Venmo, Zelle, or other payment apps, then you’re self-employed. If you’re drawing even a small amount of income from teaching yoga, that counts as self-employed work for tax purposes.

That means you’re eligible to write off some, but not all, yoga-related expenses. If you file more deductions than income for your teaching year after year, chances are it will not be regarded favorably in an audit. “In my understanding, people get flagged when they don’t report enough income and write off more,” says Brown, who was audited in the 1990s when he was teaching in Brooklyn.

Given the standard compensation for yoga teachers being so low, you might worry whether you’re writing off too much. There’s probably no need for concern, say experts. Keep documentation for your expenditures and accurately report your income, and consult with an accountant if you have questions.

“Yoga teachers are typically a very honest and conscientious bunch,” says Brown. “They aren’t the kind of people who are into gaming the system, although with taxes and write-offs, it can feel like you’re doing that.”

At the end of the day, if you’re trying to do the right thing even if it seems confusing and overwhelming, maybe those intentions aren’t so misplaced after all.

What Yoga Teacher Tax Write-Offs You CAN Deduct

You can typically deduct normal expenses that support your ability to conduct and run your business, says Lisa Greene-Lewis, CPA, a TurboTax expert. What counts as “normal” when it comes to expenses?

The government has some surprise stipulations. Following are many expenses that most yoga teachers can legally itemize as deductions on the IRS tax form known as Schedule C. The list is not exhaustive, nor does it pertain to each individual’s unique deductions. Always consult with your accountant regarding your situation and any recent changes in the tax law.

Advertising

This catch-all category covers any expense that helps you promote your business. That includes your website domain fee as well as your website builder subscription, such as Wix. It also includes any photo editing or graphic design software or platforms, including Canva.

If you opt for paid social media promotions or use a scheduler, those expenses are deductible, too, as are any costs related to email marketing. Same goes for printing costs for posters or biz cards. Think of advertising in terms of any cost related to helping someone learn about your teaching.

Car and Truck Expenses

If you drive to your classes, you have a choice: You can either take the standard mileage deduction (which requires you to log each mile driven) or you can itemize and calculate all your auto-related expenses (that includes gas, oil changes, auto repairs, license and registration, parking, and depreciation).

The standard mileage deduction is simpler. For mileage incurred in 2023, the standard reimbursement is 65.5 cents per mile. You can deduct miles you drive from one studio to another to teach class or to and from private yoga sessions. You can also deduct travel miles, such as driving to that weekend retreat if you’re teaching.

But you cannot deduct mileage to and from your home to your primary yoga studio. (See “What Yoga Teachers CANNOT Write Off” below.)

Contract Labor

These expenses are for professional services that directly relate to your business. If you hired a photographer to up your social media game, contracted a graphic designer to revamp your website, or paid another yoga teacher to help you lead a workshop, retreat, or yoga teacher training, you can deduct those expenditures.

Rent or Lease

This refers to the cost of renting or leasing your studio space. It primarily pertains to studio owners, although if you rented space to lead a class, workshop, or training, that cost counts.

Insurance

The premium for your liability insurance is deductible.

Legal and Professional Services

Did you consult with an attorney for work-related reasons? Or compensate an accountant or a tax software service? All of that is deductible.

Office Expenses

If you teach from a dedicated space in your home or have a room you use exclusively as your home office, you can deduct a percentage of your rent or mortgage, homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, and utilities. The exact percentage is based on the square footage of your home office compared to the total square footage of your home. According to TurboTax software, the allowed space for your home office can not exceed 300 feet.

Note: According to the IRS, any room that is used for other purposes does not qualify as “business use of the home.” If you live in a studio apartment and stream yoga classes from the far corner of the room, it’s a little trickier but there are instances in which you can deduct a portion of your rent.

Supplies

Anything you purchase that’s related to your teaching counts as a supply. That includes yoga mats, blocks, blankets, bolsters, essential oils, and sound instruments. This category also covers purchases related to teaching online from home, including a ring camera, microphone, cords, or any technical equipment. It even includes the adapter you bought so your phone would be compatible with a studio’s audio system.

“I was told you can even write off incense,” says J. Brown, yoga teacher, studio owner, and podcast host in Easton, Pa. He’s correct as long as you use that incense when teaching class and not just for your personal practice. That’s where things can get a little unclear if you’re being audited.

Travel Expenses

Have you travelled to an event pertaining to any aspect of your work? If yes, you can deduct expenses for your hotel, meals, and transportation, says Mark Steber, Chief Tax Information Officer for Jackson-Hewitt Tax Services. That includes how you get there (plane, train, or automobile) and how you get around (subway, taxi, ride shares).

If you’re using your own vehicle, you can write off the mileage, he says. You can also write off half the cost (including tax and tips) of any restaurant meal (dine-in or takeout) during your travel.

Utilities (including WiFi and Phone Usage)

Technically, you should expense only the work-related percentage of your internet and cell phone bills. “Track the number of calls you make for work and divide by the total calls made for the year. This is your phone business percentage,” says Steber. The same approach also applies to your WiFi expenditures.

That would mean some serious tediousness when calculating your taxes. If no refund seems worth that much work, Keeper Tax software advises individuals to write off no more than 40 percent of your internet bill per month.

Other

This catch-all category covers anything else that qualifies as a “normal” expense related to conducting your yoga teaching business. That includes subscriptions or memberships to music streaming services that you use during class (such as Spotify), meeting hosts for online classes (such as Zoom), yoga or meditation apps (provided you regard them as educational and related to your teaching), online workshops or trainings, and studio memberships. You can also deduct fees for taking a mandatory CPR course or choosing to register with Yoga Alliance.

A general self-employment deduction that’s often overlooked by yoga teachers is the monthly service fee on your bank account. This is only a write-off if you have a business account.

What Yoga Teacher Tax Write-Offs You CANNOT Deduct

Your First Yoga Teacher Training

No, your first YTT does not qualify as a deductible expense. According to the IRS, that initial training qualifies you for your work and, as such, is not a write-off. Any education thereafter is an allowable expense.

But any training you take thereafter—including workshops, courses, and supplemental yoga teacher trainings—can qualify as a deduction, says Steber. “The cost of maintaining a license or continuing education to stay up to date on instruction is deductible as an ‘other’ expense,” he says.

Mileage To and From Your Primary Studio

You cannot deduct the miles you drive from your home to the studio where you teach most frequently. It’s considered your primary workplace and so the miles driven are regarded as your standard commute. You can, however, deduct studio-to-studio miles as well as any distance you travel to and from private yoga sessions.

Yoga Attire

Sadly, your leggings, bras, and other related attire are not a tax write-off. “The government specifications around work clothing or uniforms are clear: Workout clothes are not deductible. It’s considered the same as wearing regular clothes to work,” says Greene-Lewis. Sigh.

Volunteer Hours

Hours you spend volunteer teaching are not deductible, says Greene-Lewis. But any related supplies you purchase for your volunteer work as well as your mileage to and from those classes do qualify as deductions.

So if you volunteer to teach for a local after-school program and pick up some mats or blocks at a thrift shop, you can deduct that expense. If you’ve trained with Prison Yoga Project and regularly teach classes, you can deduct your mileage, which was calculated at 14 cents per mile for charities in 2023.

Also, to clearly define “volunteering,” if you took YTT and occasionally teach yoga on the side to friends and family but don’t charge, that’s not considered a charitable use of your time and talents, according to the government. Although you probably disagree, if this is your situation and you did not receive any income for teaching yoga last year, chances are you cannot write off your yoga-related expenses.

This article has been updated. Originally published April 12, 2023.