Working as a secretary means you have to be organized, and keep track of everyone else’s needs and schedule. However, when tax time approaches, you need to be aware of your own responsibilities as well. Whether you are employed as a secretary, administrative assistant or data entry clerk, you will receive a Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, which documents your wages and salaries, as well as withholdings.

Deductions are a great way to reduce your tax liability. As a secretary, you can deduct certain unreimbursed, job-related expenses. Throughout the tax year, you should keep receipts of any expenses you incur so that you prove them. A few typical deductions taken by secretaries and administrative assistants include:

• Trade publications or journals relating to your field in which you have a paid subscription.
• Any amounts paid as a due for professional associations.
• Flat rate occupational taxes, whether imposed by the state or local government, including regulatory fees and licensing costs, as long as they aren’t for the initial certification.
• Job-related equipment or supplies that were paid by you and were not reimbursed by your employer.

As far as education or additional training, you can only deduct courses which meet specific requirements. Typically, deductible education for secretaries included refresher courses, current development and new trend courses, and vocational classes. If the course is not specific to your position, or it can qualify you for work in a new field or occupation, than it is generally not able to be deducted. If you needed the course to obtain minimum certification for your present job, you typically are not able to deduct it.