Legal Tax Deduction for personal/business trip?

I'm a wedding photographer and was wondering if I could deduct the travel expenses to goto my sisters (sole photographer) /cousin's wedding (they hired another photographer I was photographing for my portfolio)? They did not pay me for my services but I did it to get more photos for my portfolio to advertise to future clients.

THe thing with tax deductions...... you can deduct anything until they catch you.
You can claim it but if you get audited and put on the hot seat about this one, you might end up having to pay the tax on that money plus interest.

As long as you are not attempting to outright defraud the govenment, claim part of it as a tax deduction. I would probably claim half of oyur travel expense and the film and materials 100%.

This would be a good question for your CPA.

It's tricky but you may get off easily by claiming partial expenses.

Remember, you did have to go for the wedding anyway. This was not a planned trip for your portfolio photographs.

If the amount is reasonable, you have all the receipts, then you may be (just may be) able to claim partial expenses.

Good luck.

The IRS would throw this out in a heartbeat.

The trip was clearly personal.
You weren't the photographer of record.

The photos for your portfolio merely cost you film and developing costs; you cannot deduct any cost of the trip itself.