Party’s Over: Deduction for Entertainment Expenses No Longer Allowed

Starting in 2018, deductions for activities that are generally considered to be entertainment, amusement or recreation expenses, or with respect to a facility used in connection with such activities, are disallowed. Forget front row concert tickets or box seats at the MLB game on another company’s dime.

Before the new law, if you took a potential client golfing to discuss a future relationship, this cost was 50% deductible as entertainment associated with the active conduct of a trade or business, but only if adequate records were kept. Now there is no such deduction. The government likes this provision because it eliminates the subjective determination of whether such expenses are sufficiently business-related.

However, if you reward an employee with an expense-paid vacation, you can still deduct this type of entertainment since it is treated as compensation to the employee. If you gave the same type of reward to a contractor, you would have to issue a 1099-Misc in order to gain a deduction.
Celebrations like holiday parties and annual picnics are still fully deductible because they are for the primary benefit of employees. Yet membership dues for any club organized for business, pleasure, recreation or other social purpose are not deductible and never have been allowed.
Give me a call to discuss how these types of expenses might affect your tax liability for the year.