So who does this? how do you do it? how do you log it? and what else do you deduct on your taxes?
I am asking as deduct mielage food clothing and tools. And got audited and the irs accepted none of it? Note I am an employee hired through a union hall and all my jobs are temporary lasting no longer then 10 months so far to date
keep receipts! usually your milage will be better than receipts for just gas, but you have to keep track of your mileage. changes from year to year but the irs has been pretty much keeping up with gas prices! (another conspiracy?)
Occasionally I teach some classes down in Coos Bay, about 100 miles each way. The mileage rate is really worth it, especially when I drive my wife's car (Mini Cooper) which gets close to 40 mpg on the highway :thumbup:
Are you talking personal income taxes or business taxes?
On my personal taxes, if I use my own vehicle for business use I keep track of the mileage and date(s) driven and use the standard IRS mileage rate for business use of a personal vehicle. I think for 2013 it's like 55 cents per mile or something. There are rules though; if you're commuting to or from work it generally doesn't count. If you're hauling company materials around though, then it would count.
As an employee most of these are not deductible. driving to and from work is not deductible but if you use your vehicle for the benefit of your employer and they do not reimburse you then you can deduct those miles. Clothing has to be directly related to the job. Steel toed boots if required would be deductible a carhart coat would not. Tools are deductible in most cases of course all this is subject to the 2% rule
As an employee most of these are not deductible. driving to and from work is not deductible but if you use your vehicle for the benefit of your employer and they do not reimburse you then you can deduct those miles. Clothing has to be directly related to the job. Steel toed boots if required would be deductible a carhart coat would not. Tools are deductible in most cases of course all this is subject to the 2% rule
I deducted my mileage to and from work in my personal truck for 13 years.
I had an accountant that did my taxes and she said it was not deductible. I showed her some IRS rules and she said "that goes against everything I was taught by the IRS". She said to go for it.
My tax returns were " delayed due to further review and evaluation prior to approval" 6 times during that 13 year period. They never questioned the mileage deductions.
At the most it was a "Gray Area" in the tax laws/rules. An area stuck between commuting and travel. It was based on not having a permanent work location. If I recall it was form 2106
The minimum I wrote of was around 25,000 and the most was 50,000 miles.
But then again I seemed to have a knack for pushing the limits with the "Man" when it came to taxes!
If you spend some time researching the IRS codes you will find they are full of loopholes and contridictions. Don't just roll over and drink the IRS Kool-Aid
These are personal I am en employee not a business owner. I have never been to an actual company office. and my jobs last under a year typically 3 weeks to 9 months
my coworkers file the exact same as I do and log their milage in the same fashion ( use a small calender to keep track of days driven )
That does not matter a "temporary " location is when you have a permanent location such as an office you normally report to but are assigned temporarily to another location. even though the job is temporary it is still considered a commute and not deductible.
Check the IRS website it will explain the milage deduction and how it applies . You can claim deductions but when you get audited the IRS cabn disallow them and you will owe money.
from the irs site
Although commuting costs are not deductible, some local transportation expenses are. Deductible local transportation expenses include the ordinary and necessary expenses of going from one workplace to another. If you have an office in your home that you use as your principal place of business for your employer, you may deduct the cost of traveling between your home office and work places
No regular place of work. If you have no regular place of work but ordinarily work in the metropolitan area where you live, you can deduct daily transportation costs between home and a temporary work site outside that metropolitan area.
No regular place of work. If you have no regular place of work but ordinarily work in the metropolitan area where you live, you can deduct daily transportation costs between home and a temporary work site outside that metropolitan area.
From what I've been told and what I've been doing, which also got me thru an audit, claim the mileage but keep a really good record of it. Then when you get audited the worst thing that happens is you owe the money for that year that you would have owed anyway. The best thing that happens is the auditor sees the log and doesn't argue it since it's small potatoes.
What info is in your log. as mine was start date/mileage/address and days at that job... I am being told it is insufficient even though I have all the documentaion proving where I worked how long and my tax home location.
Call IRS and they will tell you exactly what you need. Call real early before 8 am
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