There are many different IRS tax deductions that you can get if you sign up for them when you file your taxes. You just have to put in the raw data if you are using a computer-based system, and it will figure out how much money you should be able to save. This money will then be subtracted from the amount that you owe to the government. It will be taken off of your taxes and you will be able to pay less for the year. If you are going to be getting some money back, you will end up getting more than you have in the past. When you put the numbers in, you do not always have to prove that you deserve the money. Pretend you are a freelance photographer. You can write off the gas that you buy while driving to different assignments. This is considered to be a business expense. You may also be able to write off some of your rent if you work from home, or you could write off the money that you spend on film, photo paper, and the rest. The computer program will just ask you to input the totals when you are submitting your taxes. You will actually need to prove that you deserve the money if you are audited. The IRS will sometimes decide to audit people after they see what IRS tax deductions those people are claiming. If they are at all suspicious that you may be cheating on your taxes, they will ask to see your paperwork. You will need to provide paperwork showing how much you paid for gas, film, photo paper, and everything else. If you cannot do this, they will assume that you have made the numbers up. While this system influences many people to cheat on their taxes, thinking that they can get away with it, you should be aware that it is really not worth it. If you are caught, you could face fines and jail time. You will have a criminal record. You are much better off to just tell the truth on your taxes and pay the money that you are required to pay. In the long run, you will save a lot of money in this fashion. The government is very good at figuring out who is cheating and the vast majority of these people are caught.