My husband is a construction worker, he is not home 4 days a week for 8 months a year, how much and where can he use this as a deduction on turbotax?
As a Truck Driver you can use Turbo Tax
Deluxe. Under the employment Expenses tab there is a Job-Related Expenses
screen. You need to enter yes to being a transportation worker. It will have a
field having something to do with meals and transportation rules. in this field
you enter your expense by doing the following---
You count your log book days out and multiply by $63 per day [2018] in the USA
and enter this number. If your company pays Per Diem you then need to subtract
what they paid from the rate you are entitled to for the year and enter this
new number instead.
The software will do all the other math for you.
The $59 per day is only good on days that you spend the entire 24 hrs away from your home. Any days that you leave home to go out or days that you return home from the road, you get only 75% of the $59 ($59 times .75 = $44.25).
HOW MANY HOURS AWAY FROM THE HOUSE COMING OR GOING DO YOU HAVE TO BE AWAY IN ORDER FOR THE 75% TO APPLY?
The tax code reads that you must be consistent with you application of partial days. If you are constantly getting off Friday at 23:00 you can use... 23 divided by 24, times $59.00 to get the per diem. but on days that you get off at different hours you have to adjust the formula . So days that you get off at 03:00 you would use 3/24 x $59.00. OR you can use 75% each and every time no mater the part of the day... as long as you use whichever formula consistently for the whole year.
It is simpler to use the .75 and probably to your advantage unless you consistently get off at 23:00 on Friday - then the percent of day would be to your advantage. I'll use the .75 as it is easier.
This is for over the road drivers only. Sorry local drivers, if you get home every night, you can't deduct any meal expenses - just like a factory worker can't deduct his lunch on taxes.
According to publication 463 over the road truckers can claim $63 a day and instead of the 50% it is 80%. The publication reads as follows: Special rate for transportation workers. You can use a special standard meal allowance if you work in the transportation industry. You are in the transportation industry if your work:
•Directly involves moving people or goods by airplane, barge, bus, ship, train, or truck, and
•Regularly requires you to travel away from home and, during any single trip, usually involves travel to areas eligible for different standard meal allowance rates.
If this applies, you can claim a standard meal allowance of $63 a day ($68 for travel outside the continental United States) for travel in 2016.
Using the special rate for transportation workers eliminates the need for you to determine the standard meal allowance for every area where you stop for sleep or rest. If you choose to use the special rate for any trip, you must use the special rate (and not use the regular standard meal allowance rates) for all trips you take that year.
so where do you get the 80% ? i see nothing for that. OTR long haul truck driver
After you figure your total per diem, you put that amount in the Turbo Tax expense form. Turbo Tax will change the total to the 80% I think. It is federal law that allows a percent of the total per deim amount.
well i went into turbo tax..had to search for job search,employee to enter truck driver and transportation...i hope it did it but i think it only gave 50%... it does not tell you.
Yes that is what it might be. Someone else said it was 80%. I drove local the last 7 years before I retired so I can't tell you much current info.
You must be over the road driver. Getting home every night does not qualify you for this per diem. The full per diem amount of $59.00 per day can only be used on days that you are away from home 24 full hours, On partial days that you leave home or return home you can deduct .75 X $59 = $44.25 per day. There is a more complicated formula for those who would want to use the exact percentage of the day that you are gone from home. Or you can just use the .75 for all partial days.
On days that you go into Canada, you can use a higher per diem amount.
From the OOIDA website:
Q. I am a company driver. What is deductible when I’m on the road?
A. While self-employed individuals can generally deduct any expenses incurred to earn their income, company drivers are limited to non-reimbursed expenses required by their employer. You are entitled to per diem for overnights and motel expenses. A good rule to follow for deductions would be any expenses incurred that are necessary or required in the performance of your job and/or operation of the truck but are not reimbursed by your company, such as uniforms, gloves, logbooks, maps, cell phone, CB, tools, Windex, paper towels, showers, etc. Remember, as a company driver, these deductions are only available if you itemize and are not available if you take the standard deduction.
Q.What is the per diem rate?
A.The per diem rate for meals in 2014 is 80% of $59 per day.
The per diem rate for meals in 2013 was 80% of $59 per day.
The per diem rate for meals in 2012 was 80% of $59 per day.
The per diem rate for meals in 2011 was 80% of $59 per day.
The per diem rate for meals in 2010 was 80% of $59 per day.
The per diem rate for meals in 2009 was 80% of $52 per day.
The per diem rate for meals in 2008 was 80% of $52 per day.
The per diem rate for meals in 2007 was 75% of $52 per day.
The per diem rate for meals in 2006 was 75% of $52 per day.
The per diem rate for meals in 2005 was 70% of $41 per day.
The per diem rate for meals in 2004 was 70% of $41 per day.
The per diem rate for meals when in Canada is 80% of $65 per day
Per Diem can only be taken when the driver spends the night away from home
Everything looks right. When you are using Turbotax you don't take off the 20% Turbotax takes the 20% off the total that you enter.
I was told that in October of 2015 that Per Diem went to $63 a day is this correct
Again from OOIDA:
Q.What is the per diem rate?
A.The per diem rate for meals on October 1, 2015 changed to $63 per day
Again from OOIDA
Q.What is the per diem rate?
A.The per diem rate for meals on October 1, 2015 changed to $63 per day
http://www.ooida.com/EducationTools/Resources/per-diem-rate.asp