what if

Specialties Travel

Published

Specializes in ICU, and IR.

Ok so I am thinking about taking a perm position here in CA where I am now. But it would be PRN/per diem, non benefited. The requirements are 4 shifts a month and 1 has to be a weekend. There is a guy here (and I hear quite a few people) who live in another state and he just flys in and does like 10-15 shifts and then flys back home for the rest of the month. So I am thinking about taking the same type job here and staying for 5-6 months (by then I will have been here almost a year) and then going back home and flying in the same way he does. I don't want to lose my TN residency for my tag and nursing license, plus TN has lower cost of living. My question is how does this affect my tax status? I know I will no longer receive stipends but I will keep my place in TN still and have my RV here in CA. Can I still write off my RV site rent, plane tickets, etc? I plan on talking to my accountant about all this but figured I would run it by here too. This way I can still travel and go places and have the schedule I want without being stuck with the politics and all that of a perm job.

Thoughts?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I've thought about this idea quite a bit as well. It would be a jackpot to hit the per diem rates in the SF Bay Area.

Are the managers OK with staff stacking their shifts like that and flying back and forth?

The reason per diems exist...is to help staffing issues on the unit, and living in another state it doesn't seem like one would have much flexibility. Can you offer any insight on details?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, and IR.

It depends on the facility. A high need place like SF or Oakland will have need every day. In this manner you give them your dates of availability and they call if need. Depending on where you are at that can basically mean they call on every day you gave them. The guy that does it here says he gives them his schedule 3 months ahead of time and has never had issue getting shifts but he also said it is slower in summer time, he also books his flights 3 months out for cheaper cost too. Like I said the bigger places have lots of need. I am trying to decide if I want to get the per diem here (smaller kaiser hospital) or make the drive to a higher need area like oakland which would be about hour drive for me. There are no good RV spots near there I can move to.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You may be able to write off second home expenses, but pretty sure not travel expenses. It is your personal choice not to live near work, and what you are doing is considered a commute to an open ended job (exactly the same as a permanent job). Commuting expenses are not deductible generally.

You certainly don't have to give up your residency and voting rights and license, and you will continue to pay your home state income taxes. All that has changed is your tax home for tax purposes.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, and IR.

Thanks that is essentially what I wanted to know. Thankfully TN has no state income tax and Im sure I will pay and arm and a leg in CA tax but oh well. I cant make in TN near what I can in CA. I have an appt with my accountant but he is busy with all his regular tax stuff this time of year so I am going to have to wait till that dies down.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pedi.

What if you get canceled for shifts you've already booked flights months in advance for? When I worked in the hospital, our per diem staff were canceled more than they worked. If I was going to do something like this, I'd want a guarantee of shifts. I once worked with a nurse who worked every other week Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon nights, 8 hrs Fri/Mon and 12 hrs on Sat/Sun. It worked out to 20 hrs/week and once she was done with work on Tuesday morning, she was off for 10 days. I'd also highly recommend if you are going to do this, flying Southwest which doesn't charge change fees and will credit you the full amount you paid to a travel bank that you can use within 12 months if you cancel the flight.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment