Many people now have their own home business, in addition to what they do at their 9-5 jobs. If you sell a product, whether you make it or buy it to resell, and you have an inventory. Then you might be eligible for a deduction from your profits using the cost of goods formula. The US Chamber of Commerce has some good information on their website here.
. http://business.uschamber.com/p07/P07_2330.asp . In today's economy we need all the help we can get, to save money.