Clothing as a deduction?

I was reading on another site that you can deduct uniform expenses on your taxes. Is there any way to take this deduction as a mystery shopper? Sometimes I have to do shops at high-end retailers, etc., where I'm supposed to be wearing nicer clothes. I would not normally buy these types of clothes for myself, but can I absolutely not claim them as a uniform?

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Only if the clothing cannot be routinely used for other purposes would it be deductible. Thuse, my shirts that are modified, by the removal of a button, for video camera work, are tax deductible, as they cannot thereafter be worn for other purposes.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

I as well do high end boutiques where you need to dress nicely, however, I have the clothes (they don't know that), but I say no unless you have receits...still a tricky one since the jobs pay so little, it doesn't balance out. You can wear a decent pair of black pants or a simple black skirt and nice blouse, anyone would have that in their closet. This is a push and obvious.

Live consciously....

Yah I didn't think I could do it but figured if someone new a way or loophole, doesn't hurt to ask.

I would not even risk a modified clothing item because a button could readily be sewn back on for regular use. The uniforms IRS is talking about are more like the mechanic's shirt with the embroidered nametag that most of the time is actually cleaned professionally by the employer. When my significant other used to wear such items we did deduct the portion of the cost that was deducted from his paycheck. Hospital scrubs can usually be deducted. Although we may 'dress up' or 'dress down' for shops, what we wear is SUPPOSED to look like normal, ordinary street wear and that is definitely not deductible.

A missing button does not qualify the clothing as a deduction, or everyone could have a closet full of deductions. From IRS Pub 529:

The clothes are not suitable for everyday wear.

The clothing must not be suitable for taking the place of your regular clothing.

I agree that it would be hard to deduct regular clothing, but I think some of you are taking a hard-nosed approach if you think people are going to sew on a button to wear a regular blouse and then take it off again to use equipment.

That is not what is being suggested Sandra Sue. Rather the notion that ordinary street clothing becomes a 'uniform' because a button has been replaced with a camera is not realistic. A bellman's uniform is obviously a bellman's uniform, whether he is standing at the building door or not. A nurse's uniform is obviously a nurse's uniform whether she stops in the grocery store on the way home from work or not. Neither one of them is likely to put on the outfit on days they are not working and a slight modification of adding a scarf or a button would not turn it into street clothing. At the same time, neither of them would be allowed to go 'on duty' in anything other than their uniform. I don't wear pants with pockets (except jeans) because they make me 'too hippy'. Every pair of pants I wear to shop has pockets (and I don't wear jeans when working). Does that make them deductible? I hoped so and then read the IRS regulations regarding uniforms. Definitely they do NOT fit the category.

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