Tax Question

[Kelvin green]

I will interject here that just because you drive to a game does not make it tax deductible mileage. Trips from home to a game are not generally deductible if it is in your normal metropolitan area. Trips from one place of employment to another is...


Now for the legal stuff


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[grunewar]

Seriously - if you use the "Search" function at the top of the Forum and type in "taxes" you will see a good many discussions we've had on this subject over the many years. Good background information.

Bottom Line - check with a tax professional.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Kelvin green

I will interject here that just because you drive to a game does not make it tax deductible mileage. Trips from home to a game are not generally deductible if it is in your normal metropolitan area. Trips from one place of employment to another is...

I believe you are incorrect unless you are employed by the school you're working at. Since officials are generally not - this is not "another place of employment" - it is a cost of doing business for an independent contractor.

[scrounge]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

I believe you are incorrect unless you are employed by the school you're working at. Since officials are generally not - this is not "another place of employment" - it is a cost of doing business for an independent contractor.

No, it's correct. It's not actually a place of employment that's relevant here, it's that the school is a 'temporary work site'. That's the distinction, not the employee/contractor status. Trips from home to work - be it work as an employee, contractor, etc - are not deductible. That's just going to work, commuting, normal course of business stuff. But going from one work site to another, whether it's for business or for work as an official, is deductible. It's a departure from your normal work-to-home pattern and is being done for work reasons, so it's a deductible expense.

If you were to travel from your office to a plant and that's not something you routinely do, that mileage would also be deductible if unreimbursed. Same principle - unrelated to employee status.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by scrounge

No, it's correct. It's not actually a place of employment that's relevant here, it's that the school is a 'temporary work site'. That's the distinction, not the employee/contractor status. Trips from home to work - be it work as an employee, contractor, etc - are not deductible. That's just going to work, commuting, normal course of business stuff. But going from one work site to another, whether it's for business or for work as an official, is deductible. It's a departure from your normal work-to-home pattern and is being done for work reasons, so it's a deductible expense.

If you were to travel from your office to a plant and that's not something you routinely do, that mileage would also be deductible if unreimbursed. Same principle - unrelated to employee status.

You seem to be agreeing and disagreeing with me at the same time.

Kelvin said you couldn't deduct it.
I said you could.
You said I was wrong, but you could. ???

[scrounge]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

You seem to be agreeing and disagreeing with me at the same time.

Kelvin said you couldn't deduct it.
I said you could.
You said I was wrong, but you could. ???

Ah, yes, perils of replying quickly and not fully explaining, my bad. I think your assertion that home is the place of business for your officiating is....shaky. It might be if you claim a home office, substantial work there, etc. But that's one of the biggest IRS red flags. I dunno about that part.

[Eastshire]

Originally Posted by scrounge

Ah, yes, perils of replying quickly and not fully explaining, my bad. I think your assertion that home is the place of business for your officiating is....shaky. It might be if you claim a home office, substantial work there, etc. But that's one of the biggest IRS red flags. I dunno about that part.

Whether or not you claim a home office expense has no bearing on whether or not your home is your office.