Anyone Officiate Fulltime? (high school sports)

[northbendon]

2000.00 in 1099's minus mileage,meals,uniforms covers that


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[scrounge]

Originally Posted by northbendon

2000.00 in 1099's minus mileage,meals,uniforms covers that


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I imagine it is....if you're willing to cheat.

Justify it however you'd like, you're a cheater. Most cheaters are at least discrete enough not to brag about it.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by scrounge

Most cheaters are at least discrete enough not to brag about it.

Claiming $2000 out of $25,000 in earnings isn't just cheating, it's bragging about committing a Federal felony.

I run my officiating as a business and keep copious records because I want everything to be above board. So yes, everything I earn in connection to my business gets claimed. I barely turn a profit anyways due to mileage. I know there are plenty of folks out there that only claim what's on their 1099s and they will likely never be caught. That doesn't make it right and spin it how you like but that is a personal integrity issue. But I see you are taking the government protest approach so keep fighting the good fight. And I don't play fantasy sports for money or gamble so that's a straw herring.

Back to the OP, I could never do this for a living. I like having benefits and I like doing this for fun.

[BatteryPowered]

Everyone needs to be careful with their hoity toity attitudes related to the filing of taxes. Are you 100% certain you are following every rule about mileage and expenses?

If you have a very hectic day at work and forget to log the starting mileage when you leave the office, do you use the assignment software measurement (because in many that is just an estimate based on a zip codes)? You may be padding your mileage.

Mileage that is part of the commute is not deductible (at least it wasn't in the past) so technically the mileage from the site to you home is not deductible (that is the return leg of your commute). Again...padding the mileage here?

If you attend a camp and your spouse goes with you so they can have a get-away and relax, are you separating the cost of the meals so you only deduct the cost of YOUR meal (and recalculating the taxes and allocating the tip)? If not, this is claiming a deduction for something not associated with officiating.

Those would also constitute tax fraud. Not at the level of someone under reporting, but a crime is a crime. People make mistakes when tracking income and expenses...if you missed one game on your income calculation do you file an amended return or do you intentionally leave your income understated? Isn't that filing a false return?

How about other items on the return? Every item EXACTLY in accordance with current IRS code? Are you sure?

[scrounge]

Originally Posted by BatteryPowered

Everyone needs to be careful with their hoity toity attitudes related to the filing of taxes. Are you 100% certain you are following every rule about mileage and expenses?

If you have a very hectic day at work and forget to log the starting mileage when you leave the office, do you use the assignment software measurement (because in many that is just an estimate based on a zip codes)? You may be padding your mileage.

Mileage that is part of the commute is not deductible (at least it wasn't in the past) so technically the mileage from the site to you home is not deductible (that is the return leg of your commute). Again...padding the mileage here?

If you attend a camp and your spouse goes with you so they can have a get-away and relax, are you separating the cost of the meals so you only deduct the cost of YOUR meal (and recalculating the taxes and allocating the tip)? If not, this is claiming a deduction for something not associated with officiating.

Those would also constitute tax fraud. Not at the level of someone under reporting, but a crime is a crime. People make mistakes when tracking income and expenses...if you missed one game on your income calculation do you file an amended return or do you intentionally leave your income understated? Isn't that filing a false return?

How about other items on the return? Every item EXACTLY in accordance with current IRS code? Are you sure?

Seriously? Honest mistakes aren't the same as intentionally, willfully setting out to actively deceive. A crime is NOT a crime. Jaywalking <> embezzlement <> armed robbery <> rape. This sort of equivalence is illogical. And also, mistakes aren't criminal matters generally, they'd just get you audited or incur a penalty. Willful underreporting can get you in criminal court. Pretty unlikely for these magnitudes of income, but still...

I don't claim to be perfect or get every single $. I'm sure there are some cash games here and there that I forget. But that is quite a world away from intentionally seeking out to evade taxes in a systematic manner. Maybe I'm just a chump, I guess.

And the return commute generally is deductible, as an FYI, for most of us. There was a very good discussion of this in another thread.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by BatteryPowered

Everyone needs to be careful with their hoity toity attitudes related to the filing of taxes. Are you 100% certain you are following every rule about mileage and expenses?

If you have a very hectic day at work and forget to log the starting mileage when you leave the office, do you use the assignment software measurement (because in many that is just an estimate based on a zip codes)? You may be padding your mileage.

Mileage that is part of the commute is not deductible (at least it wasn't in the past) so technically the mileage from the site to you home is not deductible (that is the return leg of your commute). Again...padding the mileage here?

If you attend a camp and your spouse goes with you so they can have a get-away and relax, are you separating the cost of the meals so you only deduct the cost of YOUR meal (and recalculating the taxes and allocating the tip)? If not, this is claiming a deduction for something not associated with officiating.

Those would also constitute tax fraud. Not at the level of someone under reporting, but a crime is a crime. People make mistakes when tracking income and expenses...if you missed one game on your income calculation do you file an amended return or do you intentionally leave your income understated? Isn't that filing a false return?

How about other items on the return? Every item EXACTLY in accordance with current IRS code? Are you sure?

Getting details wrong (which mileage is deductible and which is not) is completely different than simply refusing to report a good chunk of your income simply because you didn't get a 1099 for it.

Either way, you're liable to pay taxes, but there is a moral and ethical component to underreporting (or failing to report) that does not apply to misunderstanding the byzantine IRS rules.

Now, if one is under the mistaken impression that income that doesn't come with a 1099 does not have to be reported, we can now declare that delusion to be dismissed.

[deecee]

Who cares? Uncle Sam isn't missing $10-$20 bucks from officials when buying that latest dodad to bomb some country in the Middle East that costs $200,000,000.

Report what you make, and if you don't then who gives a crap. The risk you live with is if you get audited you just have to say, "you got me".

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BatteryPowered

Everyone needs to be careful with their hoity toity attitudes related to the filing of taxes. Are you 100% certain you are following every rule about mileage and expenses?

If you have a very hectic day at work and forget to log the starting mileage when you leave the office, do you use the assignment software measurement (because in many that is just an estimate based on a zip codes)? You may be padding your mileage.

Mileage that is part of the commute is not deductible (at least it wasn't in the past) so technically the mileage from the site to you home is not deductible (that is the return leg of your commute). Again...padding the mileage here?

If you attend a camp and your spouse goes with you so they can have a get-away and relax, are you separating the cost of the meals so you only deduct the cost of YOUR meal (and recalculating the taxes and allocating the tip)? If not, this is claiming a deduction for something not associated with officiating.

Those would also constitute tax fraud. Not at the level of someone under reporting, but a crime is a crime. People make mistakes when tracking income and expenses...if you missed one game on your income calculation do you file an amended return or do you intentionally leave your income understated? Isn't that filing a false return?

How about other items on the return? Every item EXACTLY in accordance with current IRS code? Are you sure?

I am under the impression that there is a difference between some "honest mistakes" like claiming mileage the incorrect way than just not reporting it or having any evidence of the travel.

I also think that people here that are sitting on their high horse, probably are not claiming everything properly on some way. That envelope that gives you two $20 bills as compared to someone writing you a check for that amount. I know I have forgot some money by just not recording it in the past.

The bottom line is you can put just about anything on your taxes, but it is up to the IRS to check and make sure you have crossed all you "Ts" and dotted your "I"s when claiming stuff.

Also when you pay for anything you can claim a lot of stuff for business. But you need to make sure it is done properly and I am sure most people do not do this and they would get in some trouble with the IRS. Again, these are mostly fines I am talking about. Every tax issue is not going to be jail time. But if you pay $20,000 is different than spending that amount and going to jail.

We really just need to calm down on most of this stuff anyway. That is what an accountant and lawyers are for anyway.

Peace

[Adam]

Originally Posted by northbendon

2000.00 in 1099's minus mileage,meals,uniforms covers that


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I'm saying this in the interest of other officials who may be reading this.

You're completely wrong and completely exposed to audit. Legally, you're required to report everything you make, whether or not it comes in the form of cash or check, and whether or not you get a 1099. You may or may not agree with how it should be, but that's how it is.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by Adam

I'm saying this in the interest of other officials who may be reading this.

You're completely wrong and completely exposed to audit. Legally, you're required to report everything you make, whether or not it comes in the form of cash or check, and whether or not you get a 1099. You may or may not agree with how it should be, but that's how it is.

And I bet he complains about "rich" people not paying enough taxes.

[SD Referee]

Originally Posted by Adam

I'm saying this in the interest of other officials who may be reading this.

You're completely wrong and completely exposed to audit. Legally, you're required to report everything you make, whether or not it comes in the form of cash or check, and whether or not you get a 1099. You may or may not agree with how it should be, but that's how it is.

By law, you are absolutely correct. NO question.

Take a poll, private if you like, and find out how many refs report their income. I think you will find it to be very low.

If you are doing D1 college, I get it. You are a bigger target for an audit. Doing strictly high school? The IRS has no idea who you are, what you are doing, and how much you make unless you get a 1099. You have to earn $600 in a calendar year from one school to get a 1099 from them.

Once again, how many of you report fantasy sports winnings? That is considered to be income by the IRS and you should report that as well. Those of you chastising others for being a "cheater" and not having integrity, better have all of your income on your 1040 before you sling mud.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by SD Referee

You have to earn $600 in a calendar year from one school to get a 1099 from them.

Not all areas are paid by a school. Many are paid through their association/assignor and it is quite easy to get to $600 since your whole season is lumped together.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

Not all areas are paid by a school. Many are paid through their association/assignor and it is quite easy to get to $600 since your whole season is lumped together.

Yep. Also, if you get paid through Arbiter, it aggregates to $600. This would lead to an odd scenario if you happen to have a couple of schools or districts that also added up to $600. If you just add your 1099s, you'll be over-reporting.

[SD Referee]

Originally Posted by Adam

I'm saying this in the interest of other officials who may be reading this.

You're completely wrong and completely exposed to audit. Legally, you're required to report everything you make, whether or not it comes in the form of cash or check, and whether or not you get a 1099. You may or may not agree with how it should be, but that's how it is.

As I said above, you are 100% correct.

On the other hand, after having worked in the tax world, the government has NO idea about your referee earnings unless you get a 1099. Even then, they only know about the money that was reported on a 1099. If you didn't get a 1099 or you were paid cash, the IRS has no clue about the income. They could never prove you received anything other than what was on the 1099. The audit exposure is very low.

Before anybody accuses me of being an advocate of cheating, that's not what I'm doing. I'm simply giving information to officials about the IRS. What they do with the information and their money is up to them.

[so cal lurker]

Originally Posted by SD Referee

As I said above, you are 100% correct.

On the other hand, after having worked in the tax world, the government has NO idea about your referee earnings unless you get a 1099. Even then, they only know about the money that was reported on a 1099. If you didn't get a 1099 or you were paid cash, the IRS has no clue about the income. They could never prove you received anything other than what was on the 1099. The audit exposure is very low.

Before anybody accuses me of being an advocate of cheating, that's not what I'm doing. I'm simply giving information to officials about the IRS. What they do with the information and their money is up to them.

Of course you are advocating cheating. You can tell yourself you aren't till you're blue in the face, but it is exactly what you are doing. This cheating is why the IRS keeps working to make 1099 rules stricter -- which imposes extra costs to catch cheaters. Funny how people who are getting paid from tax dollars (i.e. public schools) are so reluctant to pay their taxes . . .