CAN I DEDUCT MY JOB EXPENCES, I AM A COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEE, IS THIS A FEE BASIS GOVERMENT EMPLOYEE ?

[PattiF]

The federal return no longer allows a deduction for employee business expenses. There are a few states that still allow these deductions. Alabama, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Minnesota, New York, and Pennsylvania all provide a deduction for unreimbursed employee business expenses on their respective state income tax returns.

If you live in one of the states that still allow employee business expenses as a deduction, you would enter this in the federal return, and the information will be transferred to your state return.

Here's how to enter the information:

• Click on Federal Taxes (Personal using Home and Business)
• Click on Deductions and Credits
• Click on I'll choose what I work on (if shown)
• Scroll down to Employment Expenses
• On Job-Related Expenses, click on the start/update button
• Once in this section, you can enter union dues and any other employee expenses.

[rjs]

You are not a fee-basis government official. A fee-basis government official is someone who is compensated by collecting fees for his or her services, rather than being paid a salary or wages. An example is an electrical inspector who receives the inspection fees.