While it is always best to keep receipts for tax deductions, there are some deductions that you can claim without receipts. Here are some examples:
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Self-employment taxes: If you are self-employed, you can deduct half of the Medicare and Social Security taxes you paid from your total income, and no receipt is required.
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Home office expenses: If you use your home as an office, you can deduct a portion of the rent, utilities, and property taxes as a business expense. This is usually the most common expense deducted without receipts.
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Cell phone expenses: If you use your cell phone for business purposes, you can deduct a portion of your cell phone bill as a business expense.
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Vehicle expenses: If you use your personal vehicle for business purposes, you can deduct a portion of the expenses, such as gas, oil changes, and repairs. You can use a mileage log to track your business mileage instead of receipts.
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Travel or business trips: If you travel for business purposes, you can deduct expenses such as airfare, lodging, and meals. You can use credit card statements or travel itineraries as documentation.
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Charitable donations: If you donate to a qualified charity, you can deduct the value of your donation from your taxable income. While receipts are not required for donations under $250, it is still a good idea to keep records of your donations.
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Medical expenses: You can write off qualified, unreimbursed medical expenses that are more than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income for the tax year. While receipts are not required for expenses under $250, it is still a good idea to keep records of your medical expenses.
If you do not have receipts for expenses that require them, you can use alternative documentation to support your tax deductions. Some examples include canceled checks or bank statements, credit card statements, invoices, bills, account statements, purchase and sales invoices, contracts, transaction histories, duplicate records from vendors and suppliers, and calendars showing travel expenses and client meetings.
