If I order fabric for a client and Im reinbursed by the client, is this still a business expense?

heathergrasby17 — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:21:08 GMT

Im an upholsterer, I order supplies specifically for a client like fabric, of which Im am reinbursed, is this amount fall under income or expenses?

Re: If I order fabric for a client and Im reinbursed by the client, is this still a business expe...

TurboTaxAniqua — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:40:49 GMT

Yes, ordering fabric for a client and being reimbursed is still considered a business expense, but it is usually treated as a pass-through expense (or "wash") in your accounting, which means it is not deducted as a cost and the reimbursement is not reported as income.

Because you are reimbursed, you are not out-of-pocket, so you cannot "claim" the expense as a deduction to reduce your taxable income.

To clarify, you record the $100 as a cost of goods sold (expense).

You record the $100 received as income.
The revenue and expense cancel each other out, resulting in the same net zero profit

Thank you for choosing TurboTax.

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If I order fabric for a client and Im reinbursed by the client, is this still a business expense?

Re: If I order fabric for a client and Im reinbursed by the client, is this still a business expe...