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Thu Feb 24, 2005, 11:12am
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Hello all. I am a newbie here, and also a newbie official. I became an Indiana high school official this past year and find myself trying to figure out tax issues for the first time. In my Officials' Quarterly magazine I just received, there was an article on "Taxes and the Sports Official". In it, along with items such as dues, uniforms, shoes, equipment, clinics, tax preparation and mileage (items I already was claming), the author also listed uniform cleaning, telephone expenses, postage, and meals as other deductible expenses. My wife and I use H&R Block to do our taxes, and they weren't too hip on the uniform cleaning idea. They also claimed that I could only deduct the mileage that I drove from my regular place of employment to the actual game, and not the return trip or the trip home. On the issue of meals, they claimed that I could only deduct that if my officiating duties required me to be away from home for 24 hours. Is that thinking in line with what you experienced officials have done? H&R Block admitted that they didn't have a clue as to what a sports official does, so I'm thinking that maybe their inexperience showed. Last year I only did volleyball matches and made less than $500 so I am not stressing about deductible expenses, but this year I am adding softball and basketball, and I would like to have accurate information so that I can account for any deductions for which I am eligible. How do you account for cleaning uniforms and cell phone expenses, if you account for them at all? Mileage? Does it matter if it's a weekday game that I'm doing after work or if it's a tournament I'm doing on the weekend? Any personal experiences you care to share or online resources you can point out to me would be greatly appreciated.
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Thu Feb 24, 2005, 03:57pm
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If you don't make 600 (?) from any one school in one year, I don't believe you have to file. At least, that's my understanding here in Illinois. What part of Indiana are you from? Welcome to the forum!!
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Thu Feb 24, 2005, 04:21pm
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Quote:
You have to file no matter how much you make. The organizations/companies/schools etc. that pay you less than $600 do not have to give you a 1099. Just because you do not get a 1099 does not mean that it is tax free income. What it means is that the IRS has no good way to track you down and you will probably get away with not declaring it. Ethically challenged people take this as a license to cheat. The answers that H&R Crock gave to Blitzkrieg are ultra conservative and are typical information that one gets from a one size fits all cheap tax service. Except for the meals, there are ways to make most of the expenses that you listed deductible expenses. It is too complicated to explain here so I'll only say that you need a good accountant.
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Mon Feb 28, 2005, 07:56am
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Thanks for the suggestions. There isn't really a plethora of accountants here in rural Indiana, but I'll ask around since I'm not originally from here. John, I'm in South Whitley, Indiana, a rural community of about 1,200 residents which is about 25 miles west of Fort Wayne. Don't know how familiar you are with northeast Indiana, but I'm south of Columbia City and north of Huntington. Takes me a little over two hours to get to downtown Chicago. Thanks again everyone.
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