Q. As a mom, I love school uniforms. They’re easy and predictable. What they aren’t is cheap. They’re also not in great demand for wear outside of school which means that they serve one purpose only. So that feels like an expense that should be deductible, right? A. Sorry, nondeductible. The IRS does not allow deductions for school uniforms, even if required, for public, parochial or private schools.
The rules are a bit different at military school. If you are a student at an armed forces academy, you cannot deduct the cost of your uniforms – that’s consistent with the rules for public, parochial and private schools. However, you do get something of a break at military school in that you can deduct the cost of insignia, shoulder boards, and related items.
