Can Online Personal Trainers Deduct Video Platform and Streaming Costs?
Yes — video conferencing platforms, live-streaming software, and any recording or editing tools used to deliver virtual training sessions are deductible business expenses for online personal trainers, since they're the direct means by which you deliver paid services to clients.
Whether you use Zoom, a dedicated fitness coaching platform, or a live-streaming service to run group classes, the subscription cost is an ordinary business expense as long as it's used for client sessions. This includes recurring monthly or annual subscription fees, one-time setup or platform costs, and any add-on features (like larger group capacity or session recording) you pay for specifically to run your training business.
If you also use the same platform for personal video calls unrelated to training, only the business-use portion is deductible — though most trainers who rely on a platform primarily for client sessions can reasonably treat the full cost as a business expense.
Other software and equipment costs commonly tied to virtual training:
Ring lights, tripods, or camera equipment used for session quality
Editing software for pre-recorded workout content
Client scheduling and payment processing platforms
Cloud storage for session recordings
A common mistake: trainers who split time between in-person and virtual clients forget to separately track which software costs are actually tied to the virtual side of the business, which makes it harder to justify the full deduction if it's ever questioned.
BossTax's free app tracks software subscriptions automatically as they renew, so recurring platform costs don't get lost between billing cycles.
Curious what other virtual training costs you can write off? Book a free intro call and we'll walk through it together. Click here.
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