1099 tax help.

You have stupid covered, no doubt

 

IRS looks at it like this... Sunglasses you use in a car, so no. Eye Glasses you need, so no... it has to be something that you need for your job that you would not regularly need... Steel toed boots - yes, company uniforms if you pay - yes, blankets and sheets - no, if it is job related and not a common item you would use anyway,,, then most likely will be allowed..

food receipts - no
Pub 463 covers M&IE - (commonly referred to as Per Diem)
I would suggest getting a small scanner or a app that will allow you to take pic's of your receipts and store them... IRS will take pdf's and scanned images of receipts... if you do this then don't need the original.

Suggest you get a cloud based back up service - (yes for deduction) so if your local device fails you still have a back up...

Logs - keep copies of them... in fact if your company does not keep them or you are an O/O FMCSA does state you are required to keep a back up of your daily logs in addition to the original ones.

 

You don't,,, scan them and save them online or in a cloud service... shred the originals then..

The IRS will recognize any scanned documents that provide a complete and accurate record of your data and can be accessible at any time. They also state on their website that the electronic software used to scan your records must meet the basic requirements stated by the IRS.

Self Employed Individuals Tax Center | Internal Revenue Service

 

Here is what I would do, get a hold of an accountant and have the advise you. YOU may not need a tax ID or a llc.

BUT in the mean time. if you are driving for an owner, and don't pay for maintenance or fuel, then this is a general list of what you can write off.

AS a general rule Any supplies that you need to do the job are deducted.

This means things like paper products (log sheets, pens, paper or note pads).

Cleaning supplies (window cleaner, paper towels, wipes)

Clothing specific for the job (low temp coveralls, heated socks, heated hat) but not socks or underwear.

Bedding specific for the truck (sheets, pillow and cases, mattress and cover, blankets, sleeping bag)

Misc supplies that are needed for your work, my drivers will buy extra chains, straps, bungies and placards just in case and these are not reimburst because that is their choice unless it is a replacement. E-track Load bars and other items that are used in dry/reefer boxes are the exception to that rule, we can not have enough of them.

Also buy a first aid/safety kit every year and write it off. Get a good one and toss the old on in your personal car or truck. The justification for this is that it usually has lotions and other protective products in the container and they degrade in a harsh envoirment in a truck.

Computers like laptops depend on how much they are and how they are depreciated. In many cases they are so cheap, they are not worth a long depreciation. Cell phones are another item that I have a write off on because I carry either two phones or have a phone with dual sim cards and two phone numbers. My drivers also have two phones, one for the business that I pay for and one for their personal use which is not paid for by me. If you subscribe to XM radio, you have to of course have to listen to the weather and traffic for places like Chicago, I went a few rounds with the auditor on this, they said you can listen to the radio for traffic but I said that if I am 200 miles away and I have to reroute to avoid a city long before the city because of construction or a serious accident where the road is closed, I have to be less than 30 miles away to hear a radio traffic report (if they report it at all) but with XM I can be anywhere and not worry about getting that info. Nav units are the same as laptops by the way.

As for meals, some itemize it according to state, others like me just don't bother but this is where an accountant can come in handy.

Per diem by the way is a percentage of the amount you are expected to spend per the schedule that the great thinking idiots in Washington came up with, it isn't a straight amount but a base mulitplied by a percentage. HAVE your logs ready for that and many times the ELD companies can give you a summary of days out - we get them every month for each driver.

Fees, like comcheck and other fees directly related or generated by the job is to be deducted. My driver can choose a method of payment, some will take comchecks (for some reason) and the carrier charges a flat fee, they deduct it from their gross every year. ANY non-reiimburst fees like tolls also get deducted.

There are other things I'm forgetting, I have somewhere in my driver's manual a list of them, there is also floating around this internet thing a spread sheet for it.

OH another thing, back about 10 or maybe 15 years ago, there was a discussion on another site about showers and laundry, and deducting it from the gross. An EA was on that site and she said what you do is you write down the amount, the place, the purpose and time/date of the transaction to keep it legal. YOU do not have to write down your points you used to get a shower but treat it always as an expense.

What you can't write off is mileage to and from work. Or related costs involved with that travel.

However if your job searching, everything related to that job search including mileage may be (depending on your situation) can be written off.

AND what can't be written off is gaming and entertainment equipement. Beleive me I've heard a lot of what they've tried from the auditors, they tell me some bizarre things truckers try to write off like lap dances and adult toys.

My advice is keep that all in mind but get someone (NOT a taxpreparer) to go through your operation with you and have you setup a system to keep track of these things.

I just saw Mark's two posts, he is right about glasses and clarifies my per deim statement.

 

As a rule, a sole proprietor has no need for a corporation/LLC. It does nothing but complicate your taxes and waste money.

 

So is a mattress.

Don't you have your little FMCSA rule book?