Per Diem is Great...

RickG · Dec 30, 2009

Wicked Wizard said: ↑

Many companies have an (opt out) form that you need to sign if you do not want the per diem. It seems that many companies by default use this now. My current job is local but they add the per diem on loads that are farther than 150 miles away from the terminal.
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Unless that 150 miles is an overnighter they'll get nailed for that sooner or later . How do you report that on your tax returns ?

RickG · Dec 30, 2009

Employers that overpay per diem could be in big trouble and the whole deduction could be eliminated /

The guidance illustrates when a per diem allowance arrangement that fails to track the excess amounts and does not include the unsubstantiated, unrepaid excess amounts in the employee's income and wages constitutes a pattern of abuse of the rules for tax-free expense reimbursements. The finding that the arrangement is abusive causes all allowances paid under the arrangement to be subject to income tax and employment tax, not just the excess amounts. While the guidance uses a scenario in the trucking industry because of the industry's widespread use of per diem allowances, the analysis applies to any employer in any industry that uses per diem allowances to reimburse employee expenses, the IRS says.
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http://webhelp.blr.com/HR-news/Comp...sues-Guidance-on-Per-Diem-Expense-Reimbursem/

phroziac · Dec 30, 2009

Rollover the Original said: ↑

It's best to ask your CPA how you should work your taxes. You should have the w-2 set so you get most of your money at pay time and only pay in enough to make sure you don't have to pay at the end of the year. The per diem helps reduce your taxes also.

The bad thing about these companies "paying" you per diem is they are paying on a per mile deal! WTF is with that? So you have a good day then a bad day oh heck then 2 days waiting for a load. then you're good for a few weeks then you're sitting in a motel waiting for the truck to get repaired....you see whats happening here? You have no idea whats going on so you have to hand your CPA your W-2 which shows how many miles they paid you for the per diem then YOU still have to add up all of the days you were out. (this is where these companies can KMA! I use my log book as my proof of days out for my per diem. My whole year fits into a large manilla envelope along with my tax file.) What do you get from Warner? Will they give you a copy of EVERY day you were out? I freaking hope so because if not you will need to fill one out every day to keep in your file for in case Uncle Sam wants to audit your arse! Ask Warner if they will and if not I'd really think of going somewhere else! Anyway the CPA has to figure out what the company "paid" you and then figure out what you can still file on and they just might , for all their extra work charge you more money for the extra work especially if there is an extra page used! MY CPA charges by the page! It costs me $160. a year for my taxes but it's been that way for years!

Now I use Drivers Daily Log to keep track of my log book but I don't use it to print the pages as printer ink is expecsive! BUT you could use it and keep your log copies on a CD for in case of an audit. Just count every day you are away from home and keep that information somewhere you use to keep track of your taxableles. I have an excell sheet I made that I give my CPS to do my taxes on.

Just be sure to ask this company if they will pay for your CPS'a extra work! LOL
Good luck
Rollover
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I agree with everything you said. But....Werner sends you a copy of your logbook every month, on fanfold paper, in a manila envelope.

mizdageeragn · Dec 31, 2009

Bigray said: ↑

yes they can force you and some are!

but it dont make it right.
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If you're working for a company that forces you to take per diem, RUN as soon as you possibly can. You are being HAD Big Time by that company and they are the ones receiving the benefits, NOT YOU. I ran this scenario past my accountant back when I first started driving and he laid the whole thing out for me on a piece of paper and my jaw just about fell of my face. I was never asked by my company to take per diem pay but I was confused by all the confusion in this business about per diem.

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