Per Diem question for a company driver

You need to show how many days you were home, how many days you were on the road, and how many days you were home for part of the day.

I suppose trip sheets may not be too useful if you ever go home under a load (e.g. weekend layover), but for a typical OTR driver something like the following template would be suitable proof that you weren't at home for a particular date range:

 

Iffy, it's not as detailed as your log, which is what they want, DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAIL.

 

It's not about what they want, it's what is adequate. Lord help us all if we HAD to give the IRS everything they WANT....

 

Have any of you ever been audited by the IRS for your per diem deduction on schedule A?

I have...

I wrote off over 300 days out in 2010. Threw a red flag in their system. A couple of letters back and forth and they accepted the deduction. Not that big of a deal.

The thing the auditor really wanted was a letter from my employer at the time stating that none of my compensation from them was paid in per diem.

I didn't even have copies of my first 6 mos of logs because the company purged the elogs after 6 mos in the system and I didn't realize it.

I provided copies of my settlements showing pick ups and deliveries all over the country and the auditor was cool with that.

 

I was also, and yes I had to provide that letter also. Except the two companies would not just write them, so off to a lawyer I go.. $400 and I have my two letters. And the lawyer was added as a deduction.

 

Um, in 2011 my wife and I tithed $1,600 between two churches, not a single receipt to provide the IRS........no deduction, sorry. If you can't give the details they want, they don't have to accept it. Both the original examiner and the appeals examiner said no to that one. It depends on the examiner. The appeals examiner let all my misc business deductions (bolt cutters, showers, work boots, hard hat, GPS update, MC atlas, gloves and a few other things) slide without receipts because I had a VERY good excuse and justification for not having the receipts. The original examiner disallowed them, so it totally depends on the examiner.

 

There's a difference between NO receipts and adequate documentation.

Churches tend to be very, very good at book keeping. I've never donated to a church and not got a nice "thank you for $xx.xxx donations during 20xx" letter in January. That would be adequate. Cancelled checks would be adequate. A "goods received" slip would be adequate. Charitable donations under $250 do not require a receipt. I am rather surprised your church could not give you a written accounting for your donations. Very odd.

As far as small deductions, other than lodging, expenses under $75 do not require receipts. Credit card or bank statements are adequate for those. Your first examiner was wrong, the second was right.

 

Wow I have to catch my head its spinning away! EEK taxes!