Tax Season!

Specialties Travel

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Hey everyone! I've been traveling since July and wanted to ask some veteran travelers what to do come tax season. I plan on filing in my state of legal residence (PA), but what about those incentives I've heard about? Anyone have tips on what to claim when it comes time to file?? Thanks!

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What incentives are you referring to?

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deductions?

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Specializes in ED/trauma.

If you don't go to a tax professional (like traveltax.com), use something like TurboTax. It helps walk you through the majority of the deductions for which we qualify.

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Specializes in Neurovascular Surgery.

There really isn't a whole lot of deductions ? Not sure what you are referring to. You can deduct the cost of your nursing license, uniforms, work shoes, etc. And you can deduct the mileage getting to and from your travel assignment. If you want to get really picky, you can of course measure the square feet of your home, figure out how space is dedicated to an office that you use to fax stuff back and forth to your travel agency, printer paper, envelopes, yadda yadda. I've been traveling for almost 3 years now and there really isn't a whole lot to claim if you are taking the tax free housing and meal stipend. You're getting that tax free so you don't have to worry about it.

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The major deduction most travelers miss is travel. Seldom does an agency stipend cover the round trip to an assignment based on IRS mileage allowance. You can also deduct commute miles from assignment housing to assignment hospital - which can really add up.

It is true that seldom do such deductions make it worthwhile to itemize as the standard deduction is usually higher after you have met filing thresholds. But for those travelers with a large mortgage may improve things. As will those who travel with Fastaff or the rarer 1099 filer who can deduct first dollar.

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Specializes in Neurovascular Surgery.
. You can also deduct commute miles from assignment housing to assignment hospital - which can really add up.

r.

Ummm... actually that isn't so and you need to re-read the IRS guidelines on taking the mileage deduction before you offer that advice. Think about it ? I can deduct all the miles that it takes me to go back and forth to work from where I live ? Seriously ?.....

Once you travel to where you are working, you can NOT deduct travel miles for your daily "commute" to the hospital for your shift and then afterwards back to wherever you are staying.

You travel to your assignment say, for instance from Podunk, Iowa to Chicago. You can take those miles for the travel from Iowa to Chicago and back again for your 13 week contract.

Once you are in Chicago, you can't simply take the miles for your daily commute to and from work.

Totally bad advice... it's just not so.

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Here is the test: had you stayed at home, would you have incurred the expense of travel from that assignment housing to assignment workplace?

Let's try a perhaps more familiar example: you are a company rep flying to a convention to represent your company. Your company reimburses you for the taxi ride from the Marriott to the convention hall. Do you owe taxes on the taxi ride because it is income? No.

I can cite the leading authority on traveling healthcare professionals (although most any CPA will say the same thing), Joseph Smith otherwise known as TravelTax. Besides doing hundreds of travelers taxes (and declining to do those who insist on sketchy tax homes), he also advises NATHO, the agency association on tax matters and defends both travelers and agencies in audits. On his site you can find suggested deductions including the one you are having trouble with.

You are welcome to your opinion but I'm discussing facts.

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Specializes in Neurovascular Surgery.

I'm not having trouble with anything. You mistakenly said that a person can deduct "commute" miles from where they are staying to the job site and then back again to where they are staying. This simply is not true. One can only deduct the mileage to their travel position from their home town, and the mileage back to their home town. Once they are in the travel position, they can NOT deduct the mileage for their "daily commute" to and from work. And, your example of somebody going to a convention and taking a taxi and then owing taxes on the ride because their company picked up the tab has absolutely NOTHING to do with taking a deduction for commute mileage. If your company picked up the tab, they picked up the tab. You gave some bad advice and I disagreed with you... and it's not my opinion. It's the IRS guideline... maybe you should read up on it and then you will know the facts. You can NOT take a mileage deduction for a daily "commute" to and from work. A traveling RN can only deduct the miles that they drive from their hometown to the city where they are working, and then the miles back to their home town once their 13 week contract is finished.

Google it :)

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I think we all agree that tax law and IRS deductions can be pretty complicated sometimes.

Please get the advice on your taxes from YOUR tax accountant

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Specializes in Neurovascular Surgery.
I think we all agree that tax law and IRS deductions can be pretty complicated sometimes.

Please get the advice on your taxes from YOUR tax accountant

Actually the mileage deduction is pretty straightforward.

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Actually the mileage deduction is pretty straightforward.

Do you and Ned know each other or work in the same specialty? You both have the same style of communicating. It's quite fascinating. :)

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