Tax Question

[flying4food]

A tax question for you commuters;

I reside in Portland but commute to ORD for work. I have to get a hotel 3 or 4 times a month. Can I write that off on taxes??? Any thoughts input is appreciated!!

 

[Skrewedup]

No. The IRS gives a very specific example in their info pamplet for transportation workers. The example is a railroad engineer. But the same thing applies. You are based in ORD. Thats where you work from. If youi have to spend your own money to stay where you work... tough.

I'm positive on that by the way.

 

[Hutcha]

You can write off anything you want!

 

[CSY Mon]

Been getting away with it for years....

 

[TooBad]

No. The IRS gives a very specific example in their info pamplet for transportation workers. The example is a railroad engineer. But the same thing applies. You are based in ORD. Thats where you work from. If youi have to spend your own money to stay where you work... tough.

I'm positive on that by the way.

Depends......do you have a second job? Traveling between two jobs.

 

[Neubyfly]

Does anyone have a link for international per diem rates?

 

[shootr]

Too Bad,

Do you know something I don't? This is my first tax year in the industry. I have a Navy Reserve job which I live at and commute to my airline job. If my situation were reversed, I know I could duduct my commuting expences associated with my reserve job but was under the impression it doen't go the other way. Any thoughts from anyone else?

shootr

 

[lumax]

Try this link for international per diem rates:

http://www.state.gov/m/a/als/prdm/

As far as deducting hotel costs in ORD, I agree with Skrewedup. You can't deduct the hotel cost because that is your domicile.

 

[TooBad]

Too Bad,

Do you know something I don't? This is my first tax year in the industry. I have a Navy Reserve job which I live at and commute to my airline job. If my situation were reversed, I know I could duduct my commuting expences associated with my reserve job but was under the impression it doen't go the other way. Any thoughts from anyone else?

shootr

Just a thought.....but isn't commuting between two jobs deductible? I'm no tax expert but I do think there is a way to deduct your expenses if you have 2 jobs. Anyone?

 

[thruthemurk]

A tax question for you commuters;

I reside in Portland but commute to ORD for work. I have to get a hotel 3 or 4 times a month. Can I write that off on taxes??? Any thoughts input is appreciated!!

THe IRS has ruled on this issue more than once. In general, commuting expenses are not allowed. However, you CAN deduct the first year of commuting expenses (all of them) when transferring to a new domicile/job away from your residence.

 

[Hutcha]

Just a thought.....but isn't commuting between two jobs deductible? I'm no tax expert but I do think there is a way to deduct your expenses if you have 2 jobs. Anyone?

IF you go to work at one job, and then leave that job and go stright to the other, you can deduct it.

 

[BLUE BAYOU]

The tax laws are quite specific about this, no you can not-- and you can't deduct that crashpad either. Now, if you want to, go ahead and take your chances... Just remember that you check the box marked WORK IN THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY and it's now going to highlight you-- this is the industry with the most audits, and yes, this year our president has appropriated more funds for audits!!!..and btw also opens the doors for them to look at your previous years' returns OUCH!

 

[Hutcha]

Ok, from IRS pub 463

Travel to Family Home

If you (and your family) do not live at your tax home (defined later), you cannot deduct the cost of traveling between your tax home and your family home. You also cannot deduct the cost of meals and lodging while at your tax home. See Example 1 that follows.

If you are working temporarily in the same city where you and your family live, you may be considered as traveling away from home. See Example 2, below.

Example 2.

Your family home is in Pittsburgh, where you work 12 weeks a year. The rest of the year you work for the same employer in Baltimore. In Baltimore, you eat in restaurants and sleep in a rooming house. Your salary is the same whether you are in Pittsburgh or Baltimore.

Because you spend most of your working time and earn most of your salary in Baltimore, that city is your tax home. You cannot deduct any expenses you have for meals and lodging there. However, when you return to work in Pittsburgh, you are away from your tax home even though you stay at your family home. You can deduct the cost of your round trip between Baltimore and Pittsburgh. You can also deduct your part of your family's living expenses for meals and lodging while you are living and working in Pittsburgh.

http://www.irs.gov/publications/p463/ch01.html#d0e413

This is less restrictive than the example I gave.

 

[Hutcha]

Some additional info.

In the above example, it is talking about a temporary job. It later describes temporary as a job that you expect to last less than 1 year. In the case of a reserve or guard member, it's just a second job, because you are planning to do it for more than a year.

The following is taken from ch. 4 of pub. 463:

Two places of work. If you work at two places in one day, whether or not for the same employer, you can deduct the expense of getting from one workplace to the other. However, if for some personal reason you do not go directly from one location to the other, you cannot deduct more than the amount it would have cost you to go directly from the first location to the second.

Transportation expenses you have in going between home and a part-time job on a day off from your main job are commuting expenses. You cannot deduct them.


Armed Forces reservists. A meeting of an Armed Forces reserve unit is a second place of business if the meeting is held on a day on which you work at your regular job. You can deduct the expense of getting from one workplace to the other as just discussed under Two places of work.

You usually cannot deduct the expense if the reserve meeting is held on a day on which you do not work at your regular job. In this case, your transportation generally is a nondeductible commuting expense. However, you can deduct your transportation expenses if the location of the meeting is temporary and you have one or more regular places of work.

 

[thunderworm]

what about deducting your per diem not being up to gov standard if you over night away from your base be it domestic or international.

 

[Hutcha]

what about deducting your per diem not being up to gov standard if you over night away from your base be it domestic or international.

I think the standard ded. is $41. If you want to go the standard route, you can deduct the diff. You can also break it out and figure the exact per diem for each location. Unless you spend most of your time in locations with a $30-$35 a day rate, you should make out better breaking everything out.

Also, don't forget that it can also work to your favor to claim the diff. because of the following example;

Show @ 1800 on Mon
Release @ 1800 on Wed
Company per diem = $X x 48 hours (2 days)
Claimed per diem 3 days (Mon, Tue, Wed). You have to adjust the first and last days, but it should be no less than 2.5 days (75% day 1, 100% day 2, 75% day 3). You can make a case for claiming a full 3 days.

Company paid at $1.80/hr =$86.40
Claimed amount assuming 1 night at a $36 location and the next at a $48 location = min.$111 ($36 x.75 + $48 + 48 x.75)