A reader signing off as Concerned in Carpet writes: a large cardboard box arrived at the house containing a blender. I discarded the blender and kept the box. May I deduct the box?
You may not deduct something you did not buy, Concerned. However, you may recognise it as a gift in kind, valued at fair market price. A used appliance box of this size is worth around $4.00 in cat markets, which is more than the blender was ever going to be worth to you.
Note the receipt of the box as income, then claim occupancy of the box as a business expense. The two cancel. Your net position is a box, which is where you wanted to be.
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