should i be keeping receipts?

Assuming your a company driver, and your not on per-diem, the short answer is

Meal receipts, no
Hotel, and other items related required for the function of your driving job, yes. Maybe you'll be better off itemizing along with meal allowance, maybe taking the standard deduction, but without receipts your options are gone.

 

last 2 years. my tax man asked how many nights i was out. and figured out the per diem. never asked for receipts. unless it was equipment or whatever.

says if a audit happens by chance. logs is what you give them.

the late night talk show dude. says you can claim per diem. or you can claim meals. can't claim both.

as for keeping your receipts. i had dot give me a lvl 1 and ask for ALL MY RECEIPTS. my fuel receipts get mailed with the trip packs every time i see a blue box at the truck stop. and all my purchases. goes in the trash. unless it's stuff for the job. then it gets filed.

seen and heard way too many drivers get shut down becuase the receipts didn't match the logs.

 

I know a lot of drivers don't like the "Per Diem" but $59 a day is way more than I spend a day, I'll take that, Plus you can claim other purchase's you require why on the road, Computer, GPS, Maps, Pens, note pads, ect. ect., Like snowy said, DOT has asked me for receipts in the past, I never keep them in view, If asked, "I don't have ant receipts, we are paperless for fuel also", Any receipt you have keep safely tucked away so not to be seen, especially off your dash, If you get flagged for a inspection, they will just grab them off your dash

 

Good luck with your future decisions there bud. Sounds to me like you blew your first 10grand! You should have set that money back for maintenance or emergency breakdown funds. Its going to happen but I guess at least you will look good with yo bling bling wheels and be comfy in yo new seats jammin to yo new radio wantin on a tow truck! Lol

 

Dude, seriously? You must have bought all that as stolen used items from a Mexican because I set of drive tires will set you back $8K easy. New seats run anywhere from $500-1,000 a pop. Rims, well if you bought aluminum rims all the way around that could set you somewhere I say in the ball park of $6-10K depending on what style you get and the current condition they were in (IE where they used oxidized with scratch's and such, used and freshly cut & polished or brand new) Plus the other stuff could have been nice as in standard out of the box new stuff or nice as in a flip screen CD deck and $1K dollar CB with a 500 watt linear and a set of $200 matching antennas. Then add tax to it all. There's no way you bought all that with $10 grand and not the least bit intelligent to have saved that cash back for those "when s*** happens" moments. I couldn't see anyone to be that naïve and you must be all balls and no brains with 110% trust that your truck will NEVER break down or give you problems and your fuel tanks will just fill themselves for free.

Dude, hate to say it but everything about that little shopping spree just sounds like pure BS because there's just no way you bought all that on $10 grand.

 

I never seen that post that he made...although after reading it before reading your reply...My trailer has less ######## in it after 2 weeks with no wash and no sweeping and shoveling that his post has in it.

Although to be honest a couple of your numbers are a little high. I can get a set of XDA3's for my truck mounted balanced and installed for less than $5000. I can get Alcoa rims that are a year old from a scrap yard for less than $250 a rim. Polish them myself and I've turned a $250 rim into a $350 rim in an hour. The seats you're dead on with, if not more. I've seen sears seats selling for over $1200 maybe it was legacy either way them ####### ain't cheap! It'd be helpful if he gaves us models on the radio, stereo, etc. I've never dumped that kind of money into pretty stuff for my truck, yes I redid the lighting on my tractor, that was less than $1000 the bumper was torn off and I redid that for $575. all in all for the pretty crap I've got less than $2000 in my rig...now repair wise from when I bought it hell I've got well over $15000 in it, and after today I may be well over $35000 in repairs. With all the money he wasted on the seats, radio, stereo, etc. and If he didn't need drives on it he could've easily paid to have the motor inframed. I suppose I'm a little more simple than some people though. I don't need a truck that's pretty on the inside, don't need a $1000 seat to go down the road, don't need a TV fridge, microwave, etc in my bunk. I've got a KW set with almost 2 million miles that came out of a W9 most uncomfortable mother aside from the factory pete sit that's next to it.

Got some toggle switch extensions and my lights and I'm good to roll. When I get the mechanical 100% worked out I'll worry about driver comfort. There's more important things in my eyes than worrying about weather my ### gets a little sore going down the road. If that's the worst thing I have to deal with during my day I'd be happier than a pig in ####.

 

Your tire shop should be giving you hugs and kisses after you pay your bill. Look out for a butt pat as you leave

 

Set of drive tires for 8 grand ? $1000 a tire ? Something ain't right .

 

Frank: Dude keep your 2013 logs? Have you purchased any electronics (CB, Sirius, Carry Case etc), work related clothing/footwear, office equipment (pens, paper, map etc), work related communications device (include Bluetooth)? I could go on and on but what I want to advice is; At minimum keep these receipts..GET YO-self a certified CPA that specializes in Truck Driver taxes; some charge you a filing fee of $250 -$350 which is fair and also a deductible.... DO NOT GO TO JACKSON HEWITT OR H&R BLOCK (they will charge you $475 plus). You will be surprise at some of the advantages even a Company Driver has?

 

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p463.pdf

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