Anyone here still doing taxes? I had some questions about how to deduct mileage as a traveling nurse. I don't want to take a deduction I don't qualify for, but I know a few people who have found ways to deduct it, and one of them made it though an audit without issue.
I know Boon use to do this thread, but I am not sure is anyone else is involved in doing this as well...
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I was working as a traveling neurofeedback technician part of last year and the entire year before that. When I went to do my taxes my accountant indicated that you can either take the standard government rate of per mile wear and tear, or you can itemize all your expenditures. I opted for the standard rate. You then need to indicate how you came to that total either with a log of your miles, or some other means that has since slipped my mind. I kept a log.
Posted by Swampjedi (Member # 7374) on :
The partial year resident for NY state/city form seems a bit unfair, at first glance. It looks like it calculates tax first (on total income), then divides by how much of your income is NY income. I'd think you should do the calculations the other way around - calculate tax only on NY income.
So, assume I am single, and that my adjusted gross income is 63k, and I earned 30k of that in NY. The tax then divide means I pay $1867. If I only paid tax on the 30k that I made in NY, my tax would be $1660.
So basically, you carry your higher tax rate with you when you move in. I don't like it.
Then again, the form isn't immediately clear, and I only had a minute to look at it.
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
I can try to answer your questions if you'd like, but if you'd rather not post specifics here you can send me a PM.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
I think I have already answered it, but it can't hurt to see if I am right.
I am a traveling nurse working with an agency. I put 19,000 miles on my car doing my job, at least. Not including any other miles for non-business.
I get calls at my home, where I have a partial use office. I do not report to a central office, which is in Mt. Dora, quite far away. I am dispatched from my home to the locations, but I only go to one location each day.
Can I deduct mileage? I believe I can, as my home location for dispatch if my home. I don't claim mileage from Mt. Dora, but from my home to the location and back only.
I can also claim meals at the per diem rate of $45 a day for any shift over 8 hours, and if I choose to stay in a hotel rather than drive back and forth I can claim the hotel and meals, but not the mileage that day, I think.
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
Yes, you can deduct mileage. You'd report it as business use of your car on form 2106 and itemize your deductions on a Schedule C. Here's a link.
You can still claim your mileage during a per diem.
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
It occurred to me that I should probably disclaim and inform you I'm not doing this professionally anymore. Posted by MattP (Member # 10495) on :
Filed my taxes on Feb 13. Got 1099-DIV for $40.68 of dividends on the 18th. Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
Bummer. Amended returns are easy to fill out, though.
Posted by Nighthawk (Member # 4176) on :
Did my initial tax calculations. Either I'm doing something horribly, horribly wrong... or I owe the government in excess of $6K.
Woohoo!!! *headdesk!* Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Probably worth going to an accountant, then.
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
I got my taxes done and between all the various building incentives, state rebates, investments, and filings as an incorporated slash corporation slash llc slash privateer slash bounty hunter slash intergalactic trade prince and all of the relevant paperwork, my work desk is now completely littered with the aftermath and I do not want to do my own taxes anymore ever oh god
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I'm surprised you do your own taxes, Samp.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
I'm a bit astonished, myself.
Posted by scholarette (Member # 11540) on :
On the amended returns, if you got a refund and amended you should get a smaller refund, do you send a check for the difference or do you send back the original refund and then they send you the new amount? Or since it is electronic, do they cancel the original refund somehow and then issue new refund?
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
quote:Originally posted by rivka: I'm surprised you do your own taxes, Samp.
Prerequisite for involvement in family business endeavors was to be able to manage all your own affairs and do your own taxes, as part of having full competency in knowing where all your money was going and where you can lower the government's cut.
Yes, I've learned a lot.
But it's really time to just start paying others to do it.
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
Now that we no longer own a business we have been doing our own with Turbo Tax but this year we had a question about a deduction so we paid the extra cost (I think it was $30 more) to have an expert review our return. They answered our question in less than 48 hours and reviewed the whole thing and found a mistake that was potentially very costly. I am very pleased. Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
Interesting calculator, find out how much you pay for different programs via taxes.
Well, I am happy. I calculated by actual tax rate. My family grossed $90k (being teachers its public record anyway), and only paid about 5.8% in federal tax. Pretty happy with the current administration right about now.
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