PIAA & Insurance

BillyMac

Player989random wrote
You work at X and live at H. You have a game at Z. Going from H to Z or from X to Z, you can deduct those miles. That isn't commuting, that's going to the temporary work station (which is the school, your meeting, camp/tryout, etc.). Doesn't matter if you're retired, a student, or a CEO. Going from Z to H is the problem. Is going home work-related? What do you do at home that could be considered a valid business reason? If you can't give the tax man a solid answer (like I have a home office), it's a no, and you can't deduct the round-trip miles.

Wow. I'm retired so there is no X. It's just H to Z and Z to H. I never realized that I can't deduct business expenses for Z to H mileage. I present my officiating mileage to my tax accountant as "round trip mileage" and he allows it. Always has.

This worries me because I don't look good in orange.

I visit a State Correctional Institution several times every month as part of my church's Prison Ministry (Matthew 25:36). The corrections officers let me out after every visit. I don't think I can handle staying there overnight.

Player989random

BillyMac wrote
Wow. I'm retired so there is no X. It's just H to Z and Z to H. I never realized that I can't deduct business expenses for Z to H mileage. I present my officiating mileage to my tax accountant as "round trip mileage" and he allows it. Always has.

This worries me because I don't look good in orange.

I visit a State Correctional Institution several times every month as part of my church's Prison Ministry (Matthew 25:36). The corrections officers let me out after every visit. I don't think I can handle staying there overnight.

If it makes you feel better, if we audited every American, we'd likely get billions of dollars in taxes back. When they changed the tax laws in the 80s, they said over 7 million children disappeared because they required folks to put down their dependent's SSNs instead of just trusting them to be honest.

But hey man, you're a fugitive now. A real genuine bad-ass.

BillyMac

Player989random wrote
But hey man, you're a fugitive now ...

I swear that it wasn't me.

It was the one armed man.

LRZ

Anyone (besides me) remember what this thread was originally about? Starting a thread is like having kids--once they grow up, you have little say in their lives!

ilyazhito

It was about the PIAA deciding to stop providing insurance (liability, excess medical, etc.) to game officials, without decreasing the dues officials would be required to pay. There was some discussion of insurance alternatives, including NASO and NFHS insurance. IAABO also provides insurance to basketball officials, if one is a member (individual or through a board, some PIAA basketball associations are also IAABO boards (Board 65 is the Philadelphia Suburban Association, Board 70 is the Central Pennsylvania Basketball Officials Association, etc.)).

LRZ

It was a rhetorical question. Perhaps I should have appended a smilie.

scrounge

Player989random wrote
Alright, let's make sure we're talking about the same thing here:

You work at X and live at H. You have a game at Z. Going from H to Z or from X to Z, you can deduct those miles. That isn't commuting, that's going to the temporary work station (which is the school, your meeting, camp/tryout, etc.). Doesn't matter if you're retired, a student, or a CEO.

Going from Z to H is the problem. Is going home work-related? What do you do at home that could be considered a valid business reason? If you can't give the tax man a solid answer (like I have a home office), it's a no, and you can't deduct the round-trip miles.

Now, is he really going to come for your log book and demand you open that up and explain everything? Maybe. Maybe not. I doubt he'll care for what you write-off, but no, round trip usually isn't deductible. That's why you have to play the game and make a BS company or an LLC and file extra paperwork.

Going from Z to H should be just fine as long as it's truly a temporary job location, not a 2nd job location, and you are employed with a regular job location outside the home. Home-based workers and retirees are out of luck, but for most of us Z to H is ok. I'm sure you've seen this chart before, right out of Pub 463.

Camron Rust

Raymond wrote
I got into a debate with our treasurer this past season because our 1099's are reflecting the full game fees, not the game fees minus 8 to 10%. I told him the 8-10% commissioner's fee needs to reflect as income for the commissioner and whoever else gets paid from those fees. Officials at no time see that 8-10% portion of our game check, so it should not reflect as our income. We get paid by the association, so that 8-10% is only touching the association's hands.

Your treasurer was right. You get 1099'd on the gross amount and the assigning fee is an expense you should claim on your schedule C, even if you never actually see the cash.

I previously thought the same as you until I researched it.

These may not be conclusive, but may shed some light on the topic:

The Commissioner's 1099 should reflect the amount received from those assigning fees.

Player989random

scrounge wrote
Going from Z to H should be just fine as long as it's truly a temporary job location, not a 2nd job location, and you are employed with a regular job location outside the home. Home-based workers and retirees are out of luck, but for most of us Z to H is ok. I'm sure you've seen this chart before, right out of Pub 463.

Yeah, but I'm keep it conservative to people when I give advice. Nothing worse than having someone come after you because "You said it was fine!". Now, if you listen to some guy on the internet. 🙂

Also, that workstation has to be outside "the metropolitan area". How many of us really leave the "metro area" for HS reffing? Don't get me wrong, I've gone 40-50 miles for some games, but the DC Metro area is almost from Winchester to Fredericksburg (60 mile radius). That being said, I highly doubt the IRS is going to check your log book.

scrounge

Player989random wrote
Yeah, but I'm keep it conservative to people when I give advice. Nothing worse than having someone come after you because "You said it was fine!". Now, if you listen to some guy on the internet. 🙂

Also, that workstation has to be outside "the metropolitan area". How many of us really leave the "metro area" for HS reffing? Don't get me wrong, I've gone 40-50 miles for some games, but the DC Metro area is almost from Winchester to Fredericksburg (60 mile radius). That being said, I highly doubt the IRS is going to check your log book.

Good advice, esp when you have to do it for real and not just on the internet!

However, the outside the metro area is only for home-based workers and others who don't have a regular place of business, as I read the regulation. For the majority of us with a regular job location outside the home, H to Z would still be deductible even inside our metro area.

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