Event or venue hire belongs on Line 20b, rent or lease of other business property.
Why line 20b
Hiring a hall, a studio or a meeting room for a business event is rent of other business property for the period you have it, so line 20b takes the room fee. The hire fee is only the rent part: catering is a meal, staging and audio visual kit are equipment hire, and if the purpose of the event is promotion the whole package reads better as advertising.
On the printed form this is line 20b. Line 20 is the total of 20a and 20b, so a worksheet that reports one line 20 figure is adding the two together.
Stop looking up lines one at a time. ClaryBook totals your year into an IRS Schedule C worksheet in form order, Part I and Part II line by line, so event or venue hire lands on Line 20b without you sorting it.
Start for freeWhat event or venue hire is confused with
- Line 8, advertising
- If the point of the event is promotion, a launch, a trade show stand or an open evening for prospects, the spend including the venue is advertising on line 8.
- Line 24b, deductible meals
- Food and drink at the event is a meal expense subject to the 50% limit on line 24b, so split catering out of the venue invoice.
- Line 20a, rent or lease of vehicles, machinery and equipment
- Tables, chairs, staging and audio visual equipment hired for the event are equipment rent on 20a, not property rent.
Examples that belong on line 20b
- $450 for a half day meeting room at a hotel for a client workshop
- $1,200 for a hall hired for a one day training course you charged for
- $300 for a photography studio hired for one shoot
- $2,500 of trade show booth space, normally treated as advertising instead
What does not belong here
- Catering, which is a meal at the 50% limit.
- A personal party held at a business venue.
- Staging and sound hire, which is equipment rent on 20a.
What to keep
Keep the venue contract and invoice, and note the event, the date and the business purpose, with an attendee list for anything client facing. Ask the venue to itemise catering separately from the room fee.
Other expenses on line 20b
| Expense | Line |
|---|---|
| a coworking membership | Schedule C, Line 20b |
| a storage unit rental | Schedule C, Line 20b |
| office rent | Schedule C, Line 20b |
| studio or workshop rent | Schedule C, Line 20b |
| warehouse rent | Schedule C, Line 20b |
Related lookups
- Where does Google Ads spend go on Schedule C?
- Where does a client lunch go on Schedule C?
- Where do car lease payments go on Schedule C?
Sources
This page explains how Schedule C lines work. It is general information, not tax advice for your situation. If an expense is large or the answer turns on a fact about your business, confirm it with your tax preparer.
Looking for a different expense? The full Schedule C line lookup has every line from 8 to 27 with the expenses that belong on each, and Schedule C expense categories walks the whole form in order.
Stop looking up lines one at a time. ClaryBook totals your year into an IRS Schedule C worksheet in form order, Part I and Part II line by line, so event or venue hire lands on Line 20b without you sorting it.
Start for free