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Originally Posted by Whistles & Stripes
Mr. Denucci, as a CPA and someone who spent half of my professional career preparing taxes, I think I understand the mileage deduction as well as anyone, and the reasons you state for taking the deduction all seem to be legitimate.
While I understand the travel to the meetings is always going to be a cost you have to bear, I can't help but asked if you are given some kind of reimbursement for travelling to those tournies in Florida. It just doesn't seem to make good business sense to me.
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W&S:
I got free motel rooms. It isn't about making good business sense. Sports officiating is a profession masquerading as a avocation. Besides, one does not officiate in these national tournaments to make money per se. It is an honor to officiate in these tournaments. One meets officials from all over the country and has the opportunity to make life long friends.
But one other point I would like to make. I have done examinations of my expenses in past years. My exact pro-rated automobile expenses never come close to the mileage deduction. When comparing my after actual expense income compared to my mileage expense calculated income, yes I make a profit every year, but the because the mileage deduction is so much greater than my actual expenses it is crazy for me not to take the mileage decuction. The mileage deduction creates a paper loss that does not reflect my actual profit/loss for the year. IRS rules are such that I can take the deduction that gives me the largest deduction under the rules not the smallest deduction.
I think that it is a great country that allows me to have a taxable loss, while making an actual profit after my acutal expenses are deducted. If it is good enough for a large corporation it is good for a mench like me and my fellow officials.
MTD, Sr.