As a professional marriage officiant, your membership fees to the Justice of the Peace Association may be a tax deduction. That is because performing marriages is your business. Read on for more tax-related business tips.
Disclaimer
The following information is intended to be a helpful resource to our members. With this in mind, users of this material agree to the following:
- The Justice of the Peace Association is not in the business of giving tax advice to anyone.
- You acknowledge and agree not to hold JPus liable for any decision you may make based on your reliance on or use of this information.
Business Expenses
As a membership association for civil officiants, JPus provides services for the benefit of the community. Specifically, we provide professional development, networking, representation and connections with couples – all to help our members do their jobs better. Because of this, Nolo says that membership fees in professional organizations like JPus qualify as a tax deduction. In other words, they are a write-off!
Furthermore, Nolo explains that it is best to categorize the expenses as membership fees. On the Contrary, the term dues may lead to unnecessary questions.
Ask Your Accountant
Similarly, you likely can claim other business expenses on your tax forms. As with JPus membership fees, discuss these with your accountant:
- Advertising costs (like a website or business cards)
- Professional liability insurance
- Subscriptions to marriage-related periodicals
- Mileage expenses
- Wardrobe costs. This includes a custom stole or an officiant robe.
Related Articles
- Be prepared for the unexpected. Have a cancelation plan and policy.
- Contracts Part 3 specifies what to include in your agreements.
- The importance of using retainers.
- If getting paid is a problem, this article has tips on collecting payment.
- Liability Insurance – Why it’s needed.
- See JPus’ other professional development articles.