I doubt I can write it off, but I just figured I'd check anyway. What if I took a class in it and needed the software to take the class?
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Are you self-employed, or a regular employee? – Chris W. Rea Aug 31 '10 at 19:10
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@Chris Presently I'm unemployed. I'd like to be employed however, and I think learning .NET might help with that. – leeand00 Sep 1 '10 at 1:01
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3@leeand00 - make sure you learn C# not VB. C# is much more marketable. – Jack Marchetti Sep 3 '10 at 16:51
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I am by no means a tax professional, which is who you should probably ask, but from I understand about tax law: - If it is for a class or some other form of formal education, then yes, it can be written off. - If you just teaching yourself a new skill, then no, it can't be written off.
but like Bryan Denny said, if you are just learning, you can get the express edition for free.
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1+1 for mentioning express edition. Also see microsoft.com/express - you don't even need DreamSpark verification, etc. The express edition is free for everyone. – Matthew King Oct 25 '11 at 8:44
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1As an update starting with vs 2013 there is a community edition which has more features than express. – Andy Dec 16 '14 at 0:30
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I don't know about taxes on this issue, but you might be able to save some money!
Are you a student? Checkout the DreamSpark program from Microsoft and get it for free here. Additionally, your school might have a MSDN license or be able to get you a copy for cheaper than retail.
Alternatively, there is also the free express edition if you don't need the features of the professional edition.
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If you are currently employed as a programmer or similar job, you may be able to deduct the cost of Visual Studio, if it is part of a professional development program and exceeds 2% of your income.
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Yes 2% annual income. You need to be very careful about this and talk to a tax professional or consult a tax guide. The IRS is pretty aggressive at disallowing these sorts of deductions. – duffbeer703 Sep 7 '10 at 16:46
