> Sure, you might need that BMW to "drive to work" but obviously a significant fraction of that car's purchase price isn't for "the sake of maintaining their job". Even a benchmark of "cheapest sedan you can buy" is tricky, because you can take public transit (depending on where you live), buy used, carpool, or bike. All of which get you to work but in a slightly worse way. Where do you draw the line between necessity and paying a premium for a better experience (ie. consumption)?
The thing is, a company can buy or lease that BMW as the CEO's company car and the taxman won't bat an eye. It's the double standard that really bothers me.
>There's definitely abuse of this with small businesses, where someone buys a pickup truck for "business use" but uses it for personal use, but that should be fixed with better enforcement of the tax code, not changing the tax regime entirely.
Also contrary to what you think company cars are taxed in the us, unless a very specific set of conditions are met. Your example most certainty not count
It's not just small businesses, it's big businesses too. It's just normalised when they do it somehow. Rather than cracking down on small businesses for wanting the same privileges that big businesses get, I'd say we should apply the same rules to everyone; allow individuals to deduct work expenses under literally the same rules that businesses can.
The thing is, a company can buy or lease that BMW as the CEO's company car and the taxman won't bat an eye. It's the double standard that really bothers me.