JMoore_2007

Music to my ears! Thank you for that information.

I have a question for anyone out there regarding housing stipends on travel assignments, as I've personally not worked as a travel nurse as of yet. I anticipate starting within the next year. I'm sure some sort of tax expert could easily educate me, but these forums always tend to have someone that's "been there, done that" as well so I figured I'd ask here first. So anyways, here's my question. I more or less understand "tax homes" and what does and does not qualify, however I've never come across anything that discusses if that "tax home" is overseas. My hypothetical but seriously potential situation: I am an American citizen, born and raised here. I'm considering moving out of the country, possibly Thailand but I don't suppose that specifically matters. I am not of retirement age, so I would be traveling back to the states to take assignments throughout the year. If my "tax home" there meets all the same requirements as a "tax home" here in the US would require, is that still okay? Or does the IRS look at it different because it's overseas?

Ah I see, thanks. It sounded too good to be true getting both. I wasn't sure though being new to this. I thought, well it might be rare but maybe still. Seeing as it's totally okay to take a housing stipend and stay with family/friends local to the assignment for free. Makes sense though. If a facility provides housing, it's a cost to them and the pay package would likely be smaller to balance that out.

I'm looking into travel nursing, and I have a specific question regarding some assignments and the housing provided. I know my best bet would be to just ask the travel agency themselves, but I'm not dead set on one in particular yet, and I've seen this on multiple assignments listed. So, I get most travel companies either provide you with housing or offer you the housing stipend for you to find your own. However, from time to time, I come across an assignment that in the description will specifically state something like "housing provided by facility", or I've even seen one that says "company of facility also owns local casino and will provide a suite for housing". So has anyone done an assignment like this, and if so, what does that fall under? Even though it's not provided by the agency themselves, is it considered the agency's housing option and you receive no housing stipend? Or do you still get a housing stipend and have free housing provided directly from the facility you will be working?

Thank you for the information. I will contact TravelTax and get their take on it. Yes though, when I was considering renting a room from a friend or relative, it would be in this local area I currently live. Same town. Seemed the easiest solution to me. Everything of mine is tied down to this location (drivers license, vehicle registration). I thought as long as I'm paying fair market value, which I would be, then it perhaps wouldn't be an issue. I'd be returning here between my assignments. I'd even be keeping my nursing job here, that I've done full time for the past 5 years, as per-diem. Leaving the option to pick up a shift or two between assignments as well. Hope to hear back from TravelTax that this is alright. I'm fairly firm on selling my mobile home. If this were to be an issue, then perhaps I'd rent a new place in this same area that I alone pay for as I have been doing where I currently live. Anything can happen to any place during a harsh winter when it sits vacant, but the idea of it being a mobile home just seems like a higher risk I'm not so sure I'd want to do.

Alright, so I'm looking into starting my first travel nursing assignment. I have a question regarding the tax home situation. I've read up on it a lot and I have a basic understanding of what a tax home is. I currently own my own place (mobile home). I have been there a few years. I pay all the rent/utilities/etc. So I know this would qualify as my tax home when I'm on assignment. My dilemma though is this: I live in Pennsylvania. It gets very cold and with winter coming up, I'm not comfortable leaving my place empty while I'm on assignment. Even with someone periodically checking in on it for me, all it takes is one day with the furnace going out or something and frozen pipes etc. I could have a serious mess on my hands without even knowing it while being away. I also know I can't simply rent it out and have that still qualify as my tax home. So I'm leaning towards selling it prior to starting a travel assignment. I'm not too keen on the idea of being an itinerant working though either, and missing out on the tax free perks you get by traveling. So my question is this: Would I be able to say rent a room from a friend/relative? I'm not talking like they let me live there for free, or for $25 a month. I know that still doesn't qualify me for a tax home by definition. I'm talking legitimately rent off of someone. For example: 400 a month to rent a room. Totally by the books. They'd claim it as income for their own personal taxes. I'd actually stay there between assignemnts. Does it matter if it were a relative I was doing this with? Or does this too still qualify as a tax home for me? I'm hoping so, that way I get the best of both worlds. Still qualify for the tax free benefits of traveling, without the worrying of leaving my place empty during the winter for god knows what to happen while I'm gone.