PIAA & Insurance

[Player989random]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Thanks for the free advice (I assume that I won't get a bill) but it seems like a lot of work for only a little payoff. By the time I declare my business expenses for dues, fees, fines, insurance, uniforms, shoes, equipment, laundry, and travel mileage, officiating seems more like a hobby rather than a business.

Now that I'm retired from my day job (fans have been telling me not to do that for years), I'm legally declaring my round trip mileage for all my assignments. I couldn't do this when I was traveling to assignments from my day job that I commuted to every day, right?

Of course, I did know a "guy" at work who told our boss that in case the IRS called, he should tell them that I, I mean he, would drive home before all of my, I mean his, assignments to "get my, I mean his, bag" even if the assignment was in the same town where I, I mean he, worked. Wink. Wink. Nod. Nod.

You can't write-off miles that you do from home to the work site. That's commuting. BUT, you can write them off if you handle a majority of administrative duties at home. Or have a home office.

You're right though. I want to say the math to do the S-Corp thing only makes sense once you hit $75k. That number was pre-TCJA, so who knows now.

Originally Posted by SC Official

I highly doubt CPA firms are using TurboTax.

I love my CPA. For tax guidance and preparing my returns. Well worth the fee to me.

https://proconnect.intuit.com/

Same company that makes TurboTax. It's what we use. It's pretty much TurboTax without the cute graphics. So long as your tax situation is simple (W-2 income only, no estates, business that makes under $250k and/or no inventory) you don't really need a tax professional.

Not to say you should stop seeing your guy. If he's good, hell he's good. But behind the green curtain it's just some old guy pressing buttons.

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by Player989random

You can't write-off miles that you do from home to the work site. That's commuting. BUT, you can write them off if you handle a majority of administrative duties at home. Or have a home office.

You're right though. I want to say the math to do the S-Corp thing only makes sense once you hit $75k. That number was pre-TCJA, so who knows now.



https://proconnect.intuit.com/

Same company that makes TurboTax. It's what we use. It's pretty much TurboTax without the cute graphics. So long as your tax situation is simple (W-2 income only, no estates, business that makes under $250k and/or no inventory) you don't really need a tax professional.

Not to say you should stop seeing your guy. If he's good, hell he's good. But behind the green curtain it's just some old guy pressing buttons.

Sure, if you say so.

Again, a lot of people with straightforward tax situations see the value in having a CPA sign their 1040. Others just hate doing their taxes and are willing to pay someone to take it off their hands. If you're seeking tax advice from a CPA chances are preparing your return is over your head even if it's straightforward. There are a lot of clients that probably use EAs for "easy" returns, as well.

I'd use a CPA over H&R Block anyday. No offense to you, to each his own.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Player989random

You can't write-off miles that you do from home to the work site. That's commuting.

I'm retired, I don't make a daily commute back and forth to a "day job" any more.

During basketball season, three, or four, days a week, I leave home and drive to a basketball assignment, work the game, and drive back home after the game. That round trip mileage has to be deductible, as do the trips I take back and fourth to our board board meetings several times during the basketball season.

Right?

Back in an earlier post I was referring to the complex situation of an official making his normal commute to his "day job", and then traveling to a basketball assignment from his "day job" (not back home first), and then driving back home after the game. It was always my understanding that many officials might be underestimating the complex nature of that tax situation.

Right?

[Player989random]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I'm retired, I don't make a daily commute back and forth to a "day job" any more.

During basketball season, three, or four, days a week, I leave home and drive to a basketball assignment, work the game, and drive back home after the game. That round trip mileage has to be deducible, as does the trips I take back and fourth to our board board meetings several times during the basketball season.

Right?

Back in an earlier post I was referring to the complex situation of an official making his normal commute to his "day job", and then traveling to a basketball assignment from his "day job" (not back home first), and then driving back home after the game. It was always my understanding that many officials might be underestimating the complex nature of that tax situation.

Right?

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.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Player989random

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]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

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]

Originally Posted by Player989random

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!

[scrounge]

Originally Posted by Player989random

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.

[Player989random]

Originally Posted by scrounge

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]

Originally Posted by Player989random

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.