IRS help

[jcarter]

You can write off uniforms, Pants, shirts, shoes socks, compresion items
You can write off milage, there are two different ways to do it. Keeping track of miles is easiest though.
You can write off meals that are related to what you do, if it is a meeting with an assignor, AD or another official.
You can write off an area of your house if you have a home office for officiating. Along with that you can also write off part of your utilities also.
You can write off your cell phone, if it is used for your officiating needs.
You can write off ( depresiate) computers, PDA's, navigation equipment, Fax machines. Most any electronic device that you use for officiating.

Licenses, Memberships, clinics. As long as it has to do with your business.

You have to remeber that, even though most of us dont look at it this way, the government looks at us as a business. So anything used to help you run your business you can write off or partially write off. As long as you can document it.

I use Online Turbo Tax when i do my taxes, it works well for taking you through step by step of schedule C for an at home business.

As for income, Parks and such will generally send you a 1099 form. Schools generally issue you a check and you should keep track of those. If you ae paid in cash you are suppose to turn that in. Although i know some guys that dont. To me it is not worth the risk of not turning it in.

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Originally Posted by jcarter

You can write off uniforms, Pants, shirts, shoes socks, compresion items
You can write off milage, there are two different ways to do it. Keeping track of miles is easiest though.
You can write off meals that are related to what you do, if it is a meeting with an assignor, AD or another official.
You can write off an area of your house if you have a home office for officiating. Along with that you can also write off part of your utilities also.
You can write off your cell phone, if it is used for your officiating needs.
You can write off ( depresiate) computers, PDA's, navigation equipment, Fax machines. Most any electronic device that you use for officiating.

Licenses, Memberships, clinics. As long as it has to do with your business.

You have to remeber that, even though most of us dont look at it this way, the government looks at us as a business. So anything used to help you run your business you can write off or partially write off. As long as you can document it.

I use Online Turbo Tax when i do my taxes, it works well for taking you through step by step of schedule C for an at home business.

As for income, Parks and such will generally send you a 1099 form. Schools generally issue you a check and you should keep track of those. If you ae paid in cash you are suppose to turn that in. Although i know some guys that dont. To me it is not worth the risk of not turning it in.

TUrn in my cash payments to who? Are you nuts? I worked the game, so the money is mine. Unless of course, you meant, turn it in to my wife. But that's a whole other discussion.

[BoomerSooner]

Originally Posted by jcarter

You can write off an area of your house if you have a home office for officiating. Along with that you can also write off part of your utilities also.

While you are technically correct that you can deduct the expenses of maintaining a home office, this space must be used soley for the purposes of being an office. Furthermore, just as a warning, claiming a home office is one of the major red flags that increase your chances of an audit. I'm not saying don't claim a home office out of fear, but you'd better be pretty sure you did everything by the book if you do claim a home office. For me if I were going to claim a home office, which I could for another business venture I'm involved in, I wouldn't do my taxes myself. For what I'd save by claiming a home office versus what I'd spend on an accountant, I just do my own taxes and skip the home office.