T
The Daily Insight

Can you write off MBA tuition on your taxes?

Author

John Thompson

Published Apr 13, 2026

There are several ways MBA students can deduct tuition on their taxes, experts say. Under the IRS’s tuition and fee deduction, a student’s annual income can’t exceed $80,000 if filing as an individual on the return. That limit goes up to $160,000 if the taxpayer is married and filing jointly.

Can I write off education courses on my taxes?

To be deductible, your expenses must be for education that (1) maintains or improves skills needed in your present work or (2) a law requires to keep your present salary, status or job. Expenses that you can deduct include: Tuition, books, supplies, lab fees, and similar items.

Beginning with the 2018 tax year, you can no longer deduct the cost of your MBA tuition and course related material as an itemized deduction. Please note that if you did not deduct your MBA expenses in 2017 or in prior years, you can still amend your tax return to claim the deduction.

Can you write off education as a business expense?

The IRS allows including tuition expense as a business expense if you meet the requirements. IRS Publication 970 states “You can deduct the costs of qualifying work-related education as business expenses. -The education is required by your employer or the law to keep your present salary, status, or job.

Can a MBA student deduct tuition on their taxes?

How much does it cost to get a MBA?

(Getty Images) With many top-ranked full-time MBA programs costing more than $50,000 in tuition per year, the ability to deduct b-school expenses come tax time offers some students a way to recoup costs.

Can a part time student get a MBA?

“Courts have found that full-time students were not carrying on a trade or business while in the program, and that an MBA may qualify a student for a new trade or business,” Greaves says. “With respect to part-time students, the key is proving that the student’s duties did not change after receiving the MBA.”