No tax home?

[EffinP_Meg]

Hi all,

I plan to start travel nursing in September. I've worked in a pediatric ER in NYC for 3 years, and it's time to move on. I have a few questions though:

I will be giving up my apartment in NY and will just be traveling with no "tax home". I'll stay with my parents between assignments, but I haven't actually lived there or paid bills there in over a decade. What can I expect when it comes to taxes? Am I going to be at a huge disadvantage? Has anyone else done this?

I plan to take whatever housing is arranged for me by the agency. Does this mean I will get NO housing stipend at all? What's a sample of people's take home pay per week?

Health insurance. Is it crap?

Sigh...this is almost more stressful than finding a permanent position somewhere. I just don't know where I want to move to after NY, so traveling seems to be the solution. Please let me know if you have any answers to my questions.

Thank you!

~M

[ajfehl]

I'm currently traveling without a tax home, too. Like you, I gave up my rented place and am going to stay with my folks between assignments, but don't have any bills there and haven't lived with them in ages. My pay did decrease greatly once I realized I wasn't eligible for the tax free advantage- it's just a little more than what I was making at my previous job. But I traveled as a way to get somewhere new, not as a way to make more money, so it didn't dissuade me at all. It's still better when you consider that you aren't responsible for rent anymore! My take home pay per week is perfectly reasonable.

I take whatever housing they offer, too- no way am I going to add stress to myself trying to find temporary good housing. Leave that to the professionals.

My health insurance seems reasonable, too, although I don't really use it so I don't know the ins and outs of it.

I started traveling for exactly the same reason: I needed a change and couldn't commit to something because I didn't know what I wanted. And I'll keep traveling til I figure out what I want. Yes, it seems totally daunting, and it took me a good long time to find that 1st position (see some of the other threads here) but it all worked out and I couldn't have made a better choice.

Good luck with whatever you decide :)

[79Tango]

You guys need to find out if the rent $$ they are paying on your behalf is considered income....(that may be taxable along with your Hrly).

[ajfehl]

Yeah, I get taxed on the housing money that they pay out on my behalf, too. Forgot about that.