Tax Question

[FlyingDumbo]

I took a job last February and was told upon hire I would be compensated for mileage at 50 cents per mile for training. Training was to be held out of state, a 2 hour drive from home. I went back and forth for Feb, March, April, and part of May. They paid for a hotel for some nights, but the drive back and forth was a ton of money and they paid for no meals. At the completion of training when I submitted my mileage, I was told they had changed their policy and I was only eligible for 15 bucks ROUND TRIP per travel. This didn't even come close to my out of pocket gas expense. No way I would have taken the job knowing how much I would pay for the training. I am still bitter, obviously.

Can I claim mileage on my taxes? I know I can deduct meals, but unsure on mileage since I got partial compensation. ANd would mileage be from my home to the travel site or from my home clinic to training site?

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

Disclaimer: I work for a CPA, and this is what I'd do, but I'd definitely run it by my boss first.

I'd figure what the total mileage was, from the home clinic to the training site (you can't claim mileage from home to work), and how many times I made the trip, and come up with my total mileage for the training period. Then, for every $15 I was paid, I'd subtract 30 miles from the total mileage (at 50 cents per mile, $15 would cover 30 miles). Then, I'd claim the remaining mileage at the IRS rate (which changed mid-way through the year so your tax program should ask you for mileage from 1/1-6/30 and 7/1-12/31 separately).

Other things to keep in mind:
--Meal reimbursement is 50% of what you spent.
--You can claim any hotel bills you incurred that you were not reimbursed for, as well.
--You'll only be able to claim the total amount that is over 2% of your AGI, so by the time it's all worked out, it might not be that much. Plus, it will go on your Schedule A, so if you don't have enough deductions to itemize, it won't make any difference anyway.

That's what I would do, and I think my boss would allow that.

 

[FlyingDumbo]

Disclaimer: I work for a CPA, and this is what I'd do, but I'd definitely run it by my boss first.

I'd figure what the total mileage was, from the home clinic to the training site (you can't claim mileage from home to work), and how many times I made the trip, and come up with my total mileage for the training period. Then, for every $15 I was paid, I'd subtract 30 miles from the total mileage (at 50 cents per mile, $15 would cover 30 miles). Then, I'd claim the remaining mileage at the IRS rate (which changed mid-way through the year so your tax program should ask you for mileage from 1/1-6/30 and 7/1-12/31 separately).

Other things to keep in mind:
--Meal reimbursement is 50% of what you spent.
--You can claim any hotel bills you incurred that you were not reimbursed for, as well.
--You'll only be able to claim the total amount that is over 2% of your AGI, so by the time it's all worked out, it might not be that much. Plus, it will go on your Schedule A, so if you don't have enough deductions to itemize, it won't make any difference anyway.

That's what I would do, and I think my boss would allow that.

Your advice is similar to what my dad said. He said figure out the actual mileage, then take off what I was compensated for.

Thank you for your input!

 

[sam_gordon]

Make sure you have some kind of records showing the mileage was for work. I think the records need to include date & miles driven.

You'll also need receipts for anything your employer did not reimburse you for.