# Are union expenses tax deductable? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 17, 2018, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-union-expenses-tax-deductable/812595 "2018-04-17T19:09:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2018, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-union-expenses-tax-deductable/812595/1 "2018-04-17T19:09:52Z")
Not only union fees but if I am in a leadership position are expenses also tax deductible like buying coffee for the school union meetings or running for union office or going to union leadership conferences? ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2018, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-union-expenses-tax-deductable/812595/2 "2018-04-17T19:23:15Z")
In Canada, union dues have their own specific line for deduction. And the coffee would go under “meals and entertainment” for business, where a percentage of it is deducted. The other parts, certainly someone somewhere has made a ruling on whether those things are legitimately “a cost of doing business”. I expect they probably are. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2018, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-union-expenses-tax-deductable/812595/3 "2018-04-17T19:28:16Z")
If you’re a union official, why wouldn’t you have the local reimburse you for expenses? That’s been my experience. ETA: And, yes, as far as I understand, union dues are tax deductible at the federal level. [A simple Google search produced this.](https://www.hrblock.com/tax-center/filing/adjustments-and-deductions/deducting-union-dues/) ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2018, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-union-expenses-tax-deductable/812595/4 "2018-04-17T19:44:38Z")
Union dues are part of a miscellaneous deduction on line 21 of schedule A: > [@](#): > > Unreimbursed employee expenses—job travel, union dues, job education,etc. that are deductible only insofar as they exceed 2% of your adjusted gross income on line 38 of your 1040. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2018, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-union-expenses-tax-deductable/812595/5 "2018-04-17T21:00:47Z")
Yes I know dues are deductible, I guess the OP is phrased poorly. Been deducting them for 20 years. Mt question is are OTHER union expenses deductible. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2018, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-union-expenses-tax-deductable/812595/6 "2018-04-17T21:08:40Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Yes I know dues are deductible, I guess the OP is phrased poorly. Been deducting them for 20 years. Mt question is are OTHER union expenses deductible. If you are a union employee and these are unreimbursed employee expenses then yes. By union employee I mean an employee of the union and not a union member employed by another entity. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2018, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-union-expenses-tax-deductable/812595/7 "2018-04-17T21:11:14Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > If you are a union employee and these are unreimbursed employee expenses then yes. By union employee I mean an employee of the union and not a union member employed by another entity. Thanks. So typical with volunteer work-related organizations. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2018, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-union-expenses-tax-deductable/812595/8 "2018-04-18T00:17:59Z")
Please keep in mind that for the next several years, all of the 2% misc itemized deductions will not be allowed due to the most recent tax bill. Tax prep fees, safe deposit box, investment advisor expenses, unreimbursed employee expenses, and any other sundry expenses that might be deductible because they were in the production of income, but aren’t part of being a business. They are “on vacation” for a bit.