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Simple Tax Question

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by slingblade07, Mar 3, 2009.

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  1. Mar 3, 2009 #1
    slingblade07

    slingblade07 Light Load Member

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    Commerce, GA
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    I am starting my first tax return as a company driver. Was out roughly 75 days last year, have to look at logs and get exact amount. Anyway going to to take the standard deduction, I see on form 2106 the standard meal deduction is 39 but everyone says its 52 assuming this is for other costs. Am I using the correct form and where do I find in the instructions about the 52 and I see we take 80 percent of that being under DOT. Thanks for any help. No I have no receipts, just planned on taking the standard deduction because I knew i would not spend over 50 a day while on the road. Company reimbursed for nothing, and I did not do per diem.
     
    slingblade07, Mar 3, 2009
    slingblade07, Mar 3, 2009
    #1
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  3. Mar 3, 2009 #2
    RickG

    RickG Road Train Member

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    You'll need this form http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f2106ez.pdf . It has instructions .
    I don't quite understand your post . If you take the standard deduction you can't also deduct meals . You have to itemize to get that deduction .
     
    RickG, Mar 3, 2009
    RickG, Mar 3, 2009
    #2
  4. Mar 3, 2009 #3
    slingblade07

    slingblade07 Light Load Member

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    Thats what I thought but why is the meal allowance only 39 a day, everywhere I see on here it is 52? Line 6 meals says most locals is 39. Am I missing something.
     
    slingblade07, Mar 3, 2009
    slingblade07, Mar 3, 2009
    #3
  5. Mar 3, 2009 #4
    RickG

    RickG Road Train Member

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    I don't know where you're getting the 39 . For transportation workers it's 80% of 52 . I think the 39 was last year when it was 75% of 52 .
     
    RickG, Mar 3, 2009
    RickG, Mar 3, 2009
    #4
  7. Mar 3, 2009 #5
    slingblade07

    slingblade07 Light Load Member

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    Commerce, GA
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    Instead of actual cost, you may be able
    to claim the standard meal allowance for
    your daily meals and incidental expenses
    (M&IE) while away from your tax home
    overnight. Under this method, you deduct
    a specified amount, depending on where
    you travel, instead of keeping records of
    your actual meal expenses. However, you
    must still keep records to prove the time,
    place, and business purpose of your travel.
    Employees subject to the DOT hours of
    service limits include certain air
    transportation employees, such as pilots,
    crew, dispatchers, mechanics, and control
    tower operators; interstate truck operators
    and interstate bus drivers; certain railroad
    employees, such as engineers, conductors,
    train crews, dispatchers, and control
    operations personnel; and certain merchant
    mariners.
    The standard meal allowance is the
    federal M&IE rate. For most small localities
    in the United States, the 2008 rate is $39 a
    day. Most major cities and many other
    localities in the United States qualify for
    higher rates. You can find these rates on
    the Internet at www.gsa.gov.
     
    slingblade07, Mar 3, 2009
    slingblade07, Mar 3, 2009
    #5
  8. Mar 7, 2009 #6
    Roadmedic

    Roadmedic Road Train Member

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    You can take the time to try and find the per diem for each town you were in during the year. You can also use actual costs if you wish. There is a transportation meal allowance in the Pub 463.


    There is more information in Pub 463.
    link http://www.irs.gov/publications/p463/ch01.html#en_US_publink100033781

    Special rate for transportation workers. You can use a special standard meal allowance if you work in the transportation industry. You are in the transportation industry if your work:
    • Directly involves moving people or goods by airplane, barge, bus, ship, train, or truck, and
    • Regularly requires you to travel away from home and, during any single trip, usually involves travel to areas eligible for different standard meal allowance rates.
    If this applies to you, you can claim a standard meal allowance of $52 a day ($58 for travel outside the continental United States) from January 1, 2008, through December 31, 2008.


    Using the special rate for transportation workers eliminates the need for you to determine the standard meal allowance for every area where you stop for sleep or rest. If you choose to use the special rate for any trip, you must use the special rate (and not use the regular standard meal allowance rates) for all trips you take that year.
     
    Roadmedic, Mar 7, 2009
    Roadmedic, Mar 7, 2009
    #6
  9. Mar 7, 2009 #7
    Powder Joints

    Powder Joints Subjective Prognosticator

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    Road Medic, your absolutely correct. It is because we are Federally Regulated on HOS. Truckdrivers and Airline Pilots. The only documentation required is your log book.
     
    Powder Joints, Mar 7, 2009
    Powder Joints, Mar 7, 2009
    #7
  10. Mar 7, 2009 #8
    Bigray

    Bigray Road Train Member

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    Roadmedic, do we have to itemize to claim per diem ?
     
    Bigray, Mar 7, 2009
    Bigray, Mar 7, 2009
    #8
  11. Mar 7, 2009 #9
    Roadmedic

    Roadmedic Road Train Member

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    Depends if you are a company driver or owner.
     
    Roadmedic, Mar 7, 2009
    Roadmedic, Mar 7, 2009
    #9
  12. Mar 7, 2009 #10
    dancnoone

    dancnoone "Village Idiot"

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    Roadmedic, do you know anything about NOT using Form 2106 when filing?

    This form was not submitted when I filed using Turbo Tax. It gave the reason, but I didn't read it thoroughly.
     
    dancnoone, Mar 7, 2009
    dancnoone, Mar 7, 2009
    #10
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