Tax questions

If you want you can pm some more private info. I will be getting home late Monday and home most of the week. I have another 7 returns to do and an EMS seminar next weekend.

 

Can any one help me?

 

I was a company driver and they automatically figured per Diem days and the amount. I just started to do my taxes and surprise surprise they shorted me $1508.00 dollars.

I keep a full records. I Logged 113 days OTR. Home 10 days, lost 12 to 34 hr restart, 1 day off duty and 1/2 day to mechanical break down.

I stopped in at home occasionally for my 8/10 hr. a stop/sleep over. I have a young family. Even though I was out during all the other hours on these days including most meals. How can I correct the discrepancy between my logs and from my issued W2? I know about 1/2 days. I was under dispatch for half the days home.

To make matters worse, no per Diem and no holiday pay when I under dispatch over Thanks giving. I had stopped into in-laws to see family and have dinner. I was over 100 miles from home, then they had the audacity to charged me back for the idle air cost.

 

Even if you are on a 34 hour restart you are still away from home on business and can claim the per diem . On the tax form is a question how much per diem you are eligible for . Enter the amount calculated by all the days you figure you were eligible . Then next line asks if you were reimbursed and how much . You will be able to deduct the amount you qualified for that is more than what the company gave you . Companies always underpay because they will be fined if they over pay you . The problem is even a couple of thousand dollars doesn't make it worth itemizing . Unless you have other deductions like mortgage interest to add up to more than the standard deduction you lose out .

 

Rick,
Thanks for the response. I had a mixed year in 08. First half I had my own truck and lost thousands so I switched to being a company for the latter half. I will be doing a sch C for to cover all because it includes income from w2. This company seems to be out to FMO me on several fronts. I am just going to use what I have of my logs and on my Xcel spreed sheet. My last ? is if I did stop home for my 8/10 can I use a 1/2 day on those days? My per diem is figured at $52.00 per day.

 

Roadmedic is more qualified to answer that . I'm not sure about those 1/2 days . He said anybody could pm questions to him .

 

the deal on partial days is you can deduct 75% of 80% of 52 dollars per day, that is for example you leave on monday am and return friday pm, you would be able to deduct 3 days at 52.00 x 80% then also be able to deduct 2 days at 52 dollars x 80% x 75% in real numbers that would be 124.80 for the 3 whole days and 62.40 for the 2 part days. for a total of 187.20 for the week

 

I did mine with turbo Tax as well. With my meal deduction i have $23,000 in deductions. My meal deduction alone is 10,000 dollars. If you did your deductions correctly you should have a FORM 2106-EZ "Unreimbursed Employee Expenses"

In Part one line 5 you multiply $52 times how every many days you slept in the truck and it will automaticly multiply by 80% to get your deduction.

line 4 is done through a work sheet were you enter each item individually and it adds it up together here. IE-Cellphone service, computers, GPS, uniforms, work gloves, maps, tools, showers. Anything you use to take care of business that is not reimburst.

Turbo tax makes it a little more difficult to get your deductions. Make sure you are using the right edition that allows you to properly Itemize. Spend the time to figure out how to enter each item you want to deduct. More information is required than if you were to do it by hand by yourself.

It cost me $65 or so to do State and Federal with Turbo Tax as opposed to watching "A Tax Professional" screw it up and charge me $215!

Hope this helps.

 

Also the 1040 Schedule A number 29 tells you how much income you can enter before your deduction is becomes limited.