The first thing you should know about the Job-Related Expenses Deduction is that it is very difficult to qualify for this deduction. That’s because the expense limit is so high. In order to qualify, your job-related expenses must be more than 2% of your AGI (adjusted gross income).
Example: If your AGI is $40,000, your expenses would have to be more than $800 ($40,000 x 2%). Even then, you could only deduct the amount over $800. So, if your job-related expenses were $1,000 you could only deduct $200 ($1,000 – $800).