Moving expenses rent on temporary housing family in old home

[janelrn]

For a relocation due to change in permanent employer, I traveled and began working prior to my family. Is the rent that I paid while living in the new location (while maintaining our owned home for my family) deductible?

[DanielV01 · Accepted solution]

It depends, but is not likely in this case.  There are two potential deductions in play here:  the moving expense deduction, and employee business deduction (part of your itemized deductions).  Your rent will not count as a moving expense deduction, but you likely will have moving expenses.  The following two links have more information, taken from IRS Publication 521 regarding moving expenses:  Deductible expenses, and Non-deductible expenses.  Of course, these references will help you determine all moving expenses you can claim.Of special interest is the section in the non-deductible link under “No Double-Deduction”.  There are situations in which rent on an apartment is deductible as an employee business expense (which you deduct along with your home mortgage interest and other similar deductions), but these can only be claimed when your job is temporary (expected to last one year or less).  This doesn’t sound like your case here.  However, feel free to research this further in IRS Publication 463.