Latest update: November 2, 2026 - 2 min read

Real Estate Agent Tax Deductions Checklist & Worksheet

As a real estate agent, you pay for most of your business yourself, from MLS fees to the miles between showings. Our free worksheet helps you record every deductible expense through the year, so nothing is missed when you file your Schedule C.

Download the free worksheet

Download the PDF to print, copy the Google Doc to fill it in online, or use the Excel version if you want the totals to add up for you.

Download PDF Copy to Google Docs Download Excel

Tip: in the PDF preview, use the Download button rather than Share to save your own copy.

How to use the worksheet

1. Log each expense in the month you pay it, with the amount and what it was for.
2. Keep the receipt or bank record for every line. The IRS can ask for proof.
3. At year end, add up each category and transfer the totals to your Schedule C.

Most licensed agents who are paid by commission under a written contract are treated as self-employed for federal tax purposes (IRS). That means you report your income and business expenses on Schedule C.

What the checklist covers

Operating costs

• Desk fees and brokerage fees
• Phone and internet (business share)
• Software, CRM and e-signature tools
• Computer, tablet and camera
• Office supplies
• Home office (if it qualifies)
• Business insurance, including errors and omissions

Marketing

• Website, hosting and listing ads
• Business cards, flyers and direct mail
• Signs, lockboxes and open-house materials
• Listing photography, video and staging

Licenses and fees

• License renewal and continuing education
• Association and MLS dues
• Referral fees and commission splits you pay out
• Legal, accounting and bank fees

Training and networking

• Courses, workshops and coaching
• Conferences and industry events
• Books and subscriptions

Clients

• Client gifts (up to $25 per person per year)
• Business meals with clients (generally 50% deductible)

Travel

• Overnight business travel: transport and lodging

Car

• Business miles driven, or actual car costs
• Parking and tolls for business trips

What you can’t claim here: entertainment, such as event tickets for clients, is no longer deductible. Health insurance premiums are claimed separately, not on Schedule C.

Don’t forget your mileage

Driving is often an agent’s biggest deduction, and the worksheet only works if you have the miles to back it up. For 2026, the IRS standard mileage rate is 72.5 cents per mile for business driving up to June 30, and 76 cents from July 1.

To claim it, you need a log of each business trip: the date, where you went, the purpose and the miles. Start with our free mileage log template for real estate agents, available in Excel, Google Sheets and PDF, or let Driversnote record your trips automatically.

Get the free mileage log template

Not sure whether to claim the standard rate or your actual car costs? See how the actual expenses method works.

Average realtor mileage claims

Since realtors spend a lot of time on the road driving to different properties, they’ll likely rack up their vehicle mileage. The average realtor mileage is at least 3,300 miles annually, according to a survey by NAR. If you keep a mileage log, you can claim the business share of those miles.

Tired of logging mileage by hand? Driversnote tracks your business trips automatically and gives you an IRS-compliant mileage log. Get started for free.

Tired of logging mileage by hand?

Effortless. IRS-compliant. Liberating.

• Auto-track trips
• Classify trips
• IRS compliant reports

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