1. Business insurance (and other kinds of insurance)
The fitness industry has its share of claims. It’s smart to have personal trainer insurance to help protect your business from financial losses caused by medical expenses or lawsuits.
Many kinds of business insurance are tax-deductible, especially if they’re required. Coverage like general liability or workers’ compensation can often qualify for a deduction. The insurance premiums you pay are generally tax-deductible as long as they meet IRS guidelines.
Here’s a rundown of typical small business insurance types a personal trainer can use as part of their deductions:
- General liability insurance: If you’re training out of other people’s homes, you may need this coverage to help protect you if someone is injured or if property is damaged during a training session. For example, if someone trips over your equipment.
- Workers’ comp insurance: Most states require this coverage if you have employees. It covers expenses and lost wages due to injury.
- Commercial property insurance: If you own or rent a fitness studio or training space, this coverage helps protect all the assets you need to run your business, such as gym equipment, computers, training gear, fixtures and the building structure itself.
Similarly, if you’re self-employed, you may also be able to deduct your health insurance, dental insurance and long-term care premiums.
Learn more: Is business insurance tax-deductible? How to write off business insurance
2. Car expenses and mileage
If you have a vehicle that you use exclusively for your personal training business, such as driving to a client site, a gym, health club or other fitness facility, its business-related use is usually a deductible expense.
However, if you use your personal car for business, you will need to calculate your business use. Deductions can include driving to and from clients’ homes for training sessions or running business-related errands. Keep in mind that commuting miles typically don’t qualify.
For that portion of your car expenses, you can choose to deduct either actual expenses or a mileage rate. The IRS guidelines are fairly extensive but reasonably easy to follow.
The current IRS standard mileage rate for tax deductions is 70 cents per mile but changes annually. You can use apps to easily track your business mileage to help you keep accurate records.
You can also deduct expenses related to commercial auto insurance. Commercial auto insurance helps pay for damages related to accidents involving work vehicles.
Learn more: Mileage tax deduction for small business: How to calculate and deduct
3. Business equipment and supplies
Any equipment or supplies you use exclusively for training clients can typically be deducted as a business expense. This includes items you use during sessions or to run your fitness services.
Common examples include free weights, resistance bands, kettlebells, exercise mats and mobility tools. Larger items — like treadmills, rowing machines or weight machines — may also qualify if they’re used only for client workouts.
Even smaller essentials, such as timers, cleaning wipes or a basic sound system for your training space, can count as deductible business equipment.
4. Home office and utilities
A home office can be a valuable tax deduction for personal trainers, but it comes with specific IRS rules. To qualify, the space must be used regularly and exclusively for your business — such as programming workouts, hosting virtual sessions or managing client communication. A desk in a shared room or a corner of your living space usually won’t meet the requirements.
If you do qualify, you may be able to deduct a portion of expenses like rent or mortgage interest, home insurance, repairs and depreciation. You might also be able to deduct a percentage of utilities like your electricity, internet and your cell phone bill based on how much you use them for your business.
5. Legal and accounting fees related to your business
You can often deduct legal and accounting fees related to your business. This includes costs related to filing business formation documents, reviewing client contracts or getting advice tailored to your training services. You can also write off fees paid to a certified public accountant (CPA) or tax preparer.
Keep in mind personal legal and financial expenses generally aren’t deductible. Only fees that directly support your work as a personal trainer can be written off.
6. Marketing expenses
Personal trainer marketing can be a meaningful part of running a fitness business, and many of those costs may be tax-deductible. This can include branded shirts, business cards, flyers, paid social media ads or any other marketing tactics you use to promote your services.
Expenses like website hosting, domain fees, logo design or hiring a photographer for promotional photos can also qualify if they’re directly tied to your business.
7. Travel costs
Travel costs can be tax-deductible if the trip is primarily for business. This can apply when you travel to attend an industry conference or professional training event. If you travel with a client in another city, it may qualify as long as the purpose of the trip is business-related.
In any case, you’ll need to keep clear records for transportation, lodging, meals and other expenses using IRS-approved methods. The IRS has detailed rules about what counts as business travel, so it’s important to keep business and personal travel clearly separated.
8. Continuing education & professional certifications
You can deduct continuing education and certifications if they help you maintain or improve your skills as a personal trainer. This includes CPR/AED renewals, specialty certifications (such as NASM, ISSA, etc.), workshops or online fitness training courses. Deductions include registration fees, study materials and exam fees.
9. Fitness apps, software & online subscriptions
If you use apps and software to run your personal training business, they may be deductible. For example, workout-tracking apps, nutrition programs, online coaching platforms, client scheduling tools and video meeting services like Zoom or Google Meet.
10. Music subscriptions used in sessions
Personal trainers often use music during sessions. If you include music, the related fees can be a deductible business expense. This includes subscriptions to Spotify, Apple Music or other streaming platforms. If you create on-demand videos (like YouTube content), you can deduct licensing fees or subscriptions to music distributors if you run a studio or offer group classes.
11. Gym/studio rental fees & shared-space fees
When you rent your own training studio or lease a commercial space, that rent is typically a deductible business expense. The same applies to fees paid to train clients, including monthly access charges or per-session rentals in gyms or shared fitness spaces. As long as the space is used for your personal training business — whether it’s your own studio or someone else’s — those costs may qualify as deductible.
12. Bank fees & payment processor fees
Do you use payment processors like Stripe, Square, Venmo Business or PayPal to accept client payments? If so, you likely pay transaction or subscription fees to use these services. However, they can often be deducted as business expenses.
You can also write off monthly charges for bookkeeping or invoicing tools such as QuickBooks. Bank service fees tied to your business account may also qualify, as long as they’re directly related to running your personal training services.
How to claim personal trainer tax deductions
When you claim tax deductions as a personal trainer, the IRS looks for two things:
- Proof that you incurred the expense
- Whether it was an ordinary and necessary cost of doing business
Good recordkeeping is essential. Save receipts for business purchases and log your expenses. For example, you’ll need to log mileage if you deduct car expenses and know the square footage of your workspace if you qualify for a home office deduction.
Most self-employed trainers report income and deductions on Schedule C (Form 1040). If you use tax software like TurboTax or TaxAct, it can guide you through each deduction.
If it’s your first year filing as a business or your finances are more complex, working with a CPA or tax professional may be a better option. They can help you find and apply the right deductions and ensure you’re following IRS guidelines.
