[hello1581]

Hello,

I have to work 2 days a week from other office location it is 150 miles (total 300 miles roundtrip) away from my home. Where I stay one night in a hotel and eat 2-3 meals. My employer doesn't pay me for thess expenses. This is going on for more than year.

Are these expenses (fuel, lodging and food) tax deductibles?

Thanks,

[AtlantaTaxExpert]

Yes, they are deductible, but ONLY if you itemize and ONLY if the expenses exceed 2% of your adjusted gross income.

[hello1581]

Hi Atlanataxexpert.. I have used your service 3-4 years ago and glad to work again.

I am doing this for almost a year. Can I still deduct that. I have travelled more than 16-17k miles with my car and lodging and meal exp.

Please reply.

[AtlantaTaxExpert]

Yes, claim it, but get a letter from your employer that explicitly states you are NOT getting any reimbursement, just in case the IRS should challenge the deduction.

[hello1581]

I am not sure if employer will provide me this kind of letter or not. I work for client (a contractor) they have provided me a option to work from another office that is close to home but still need to travel couple of days to far away location. I am paying money in gas, lodging and food and thought to get back some of them through tax.

[smearcase]

I can see where the co. might object to providing such a letter because they feel that they have made a concession in allowing you to work closer to home than possibly you would have expected when you were first hired. They could say-No, just work out of this home office and we can avoid all of that.
Was there nothing in writing when you were first hired or when they started allowing you to work closer to home, a letter or policy stating how they handle employee travel expenses?
Atlanta is the expert but wouldn't IRS have to have some evidence that expenses were paid by the company, if they wanted to make an issue of it?
In other words, the company might take a stand that you are saving the cost of traveling to the other location 3 days per week as you would have been doing if they hadn't made the concession, and you only have to do it for 2 days. But I admit I am making assumptions about where the various work assignments are located.

[AtlantaTaxExpert]

In taxes, the burden of proof is ALWAYS on the taxpayer, so the IRS needs to find NOTHING. They just need to question the expense as unreasonable, then expect the taxpayer to prove it.

[hello1581]

Let me explain you. I am employed by company X and they have client Y. I worked for Client Y. I spoke to Client Y and asked if I can work at there other location that is near to my home. Previously, I was working 5 days from far location and traveling on weekend to home but after sometime I only need to work 2 days a week from there. My employer X don't care which location I work.

Please advise.

[smearcase]

You are certainly correct about IRS, ATE, but I would wait til I needed such a letter unless I was sure it wouldn't create waves, and possibly kill the arrangement I already had. My concern is that either the company or the client interprets the request for a letter as hello trying to set one or both up for a claim of some type. And my judgment is based on experience supervising employees as the client (compared to hello's description), and seeing employees hurt by getting involved in what should have been routine matters. The expense payment policy was in the contract between Company X and Client Y in my situation, and may be similarly described in hello's case.

[AtlantaTaxExpert]

SmearCase,

You have valid points, but if the OP consistently claims the expenses, he WILL need the letter.