Tax deductions for athletes, coaches and sports professionals, in plain language.

What is in the checklist?

Questions, not tax code. Each line asks whether you paid for something — an office, a phone, a licence, a meal with a client — and tells you what counts, what only counts partly, and what to watch. Where the arithmetic is simple, the sheet does it. Where it is not, such as equipment, mileage and the home office, you enter what you paid, and the sheet tells you to ask about the specifics, because the answer depends on your circumstances.

Three tabs: the checklist itself, the things people assume count and do not, and the records to keep so that every line survives a question from a tax agency.

What do athletes, coaches and sports professionals routinely miss?

• Out-of-state return costs. A real and recurring cost of performing in several states.
• Coaching and training partners. Paid by app or cash, with no invoice.
• The working-day calendar. Not a deduction, but without it every state claims more of the income than it should.

None of these is exotic. They are missed because they are paid once a year, or land on the personal return instead of the business, or feel too close to personal life to claim. The checklist asks about each one directly.