Per diem question

from what I understand, it's best to save all your receipts for food, things for your truck, anything relating to your job, and find a CPA and turn it all in at the end of the year. don't take the per diem up front, take it on the back end. It's just going to lower your tax liability (what you owe) or if you don't owe, then it could help increase your refund.

save your logs to prove you were driving at the time. and also in case of audit.

 

That's exactly what my tax guy told me, and it has paid off... from an organizational point, I just keep all receipts for each month in their own envelope and then sort through the mess to further organize before tax time.

BTW- since a Sirius radio subscription is used for weather and traffic updates, I was pleased to hear from my tax guy that that expense could be deducted... and showers, some tools, a good GPS, road maps, and more.

 

Just curious if you also did the math for what standard deduction would have gotten you and how much difference was there?

I had figured it both ways for years, and most times it wasn't enough of a difference to warrant all of the p/w and recipients, but everybody runs different and has different expenses.