3 tax questions

[FishandFly]

Are Flica and ALPA dues taken out pre-tax?
- Do you itemize them or not?

In turbotax it asks for the Meal Expenses Covered by Department of Transportation Rules.

Is this the total amount of your Meal expense or is it your Meal Expense minus your per diem reimbusement.

 

[SoberIrishman]

The best advice is to download the FLICA crew report for the year, and follow the instructions.
It is worth the money.
Got me loads more refund both this tax year and last. I use turbotax, and it works good.

 

[FishandFly]

I did, but it says:

Expense Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Standard
Meal Expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6821.50
Enter this figure on IRS Form 2106 , Employee Business Expenses , Line 5.
Estimated Airline Reimbursement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - $3328.27
This is the amount the airline reimbursed you that you were not taxed on . It is only an estimate
and is based on your flying records.
The amount you will use on IRS Form 2106 is the actual per diem amount that your
employer paid you that your were not taxed on . This Code ’L ’ number is
located on your W-2 form in either box 12a , 12b , 12c or 12d . It will be labeled with an ’L’.
Enter this W-2 amount on Line 7 , column B of IRS Form 2106 Employee Business Expenses.
Net Meal Expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3493.23
Deductible Meal Percentage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x 75.0%
See: IRS Publication 463 , Chapter 2 . (Federal Government mandated %)
(http://www.irs.gov)
Deductible Meal Expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2619.92
Travel Expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . + $208.00
Copy this figure to IRS Form 2106 , Line 3.
Estimated Total Deduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2827.92



Turbo tax asks what your meal expenses are and later asks if you were reimbursed for meals.

I'm thinking that the $6821 is the meal expense, and my perdiem is the reimbursement... and that I did it wrong last year.

 

[SoberIrishman]

I believe that you assume correctly, but would need to refer to my return. I think the difference between what Flica figures out, and what you actually got as shown on your W2 is the extra you would claim.

Plug it in and see what it does to the refund amount anyway. You can always back up if it is not correct, and of course you could always file an ammended return.

Good luck!

 

[Roger Dat]

Also no, Flica and ALPA dues are after tax so you can itemize them.

 

[SoberIrishman]

There are M&E expenses, and "other than M&E"
The difference of line 7 and line 6 on your return is what your shortfall is, and what is claimed. Other than M&E would be equipment, union dues, uniform costs etc that you were not reimbursed for.

I looked up my return and that is what I did, but ask around if anyone else knows before you e-file just to be sure.

 

[Bobby Orr 4]

the best response is not asking pilots about any financial info. I would not ask a cpa how to shoot an ILS.

 

[FishandFly]

kind of true except for the fact that a cpa can not shoot an ILS, while a pilot can file his own taxes without paying a cpa.

 

[rickair7777]

I used Pro Diem this year...they calculated my absolute maximum allowable deductions based on actual length of overnights, and the city-specific per-diem rates. I am allowed $7500 in travel deductions for 2007....after subtracting out the $4800 in non-taxed per diem I was paid, I get a $2700 deduction. That's a lot more than I could have easily calculated. They charged $50.

http://www.prodiem.com/main.htm