Quote:
Originally Posted by dobry4u
you are way off . You aren't ( from what you have stated) qualified to bring your 2106 to line 24 of the 1040. "being successful" might mean you haven't been audited or rejected by the IRS but still doesn't mean you filed correctly. You didn't.
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Wow, some fairly hostile challenges here. I'm not claiming to be a tax expert of any kind, as ANY
reading of my original posts would reveal. Did any of you skeptics even bother to do so?
Dobry4u, it is rather naive' to believe only "reservists, performing artists," etc. are eligible to
use Line 24. Do you really think the IRS lists all eligible parties on a single line? Read a Lasser's
manual. That source is in agreement with IRS policies, just as HR Block manuals are, and
happens to be the one I use.
The reservists and performing artists ARE listed as eligible parties on Form 2106EZ...on Line 6.
But "employees subject to DOT hours of service limits" -- OTR truckers -- are
specifically
listed as eligible on Line 5 of this very same form! Again -- did you
read it?
Read Form 2106EZ itself. AGAIN, as I originally wrote, that very form lists other eligible parties
(transportation industry workers limited by HOS rules, etc.) and
alsospecifically mentions
the $52/day meal allowance and the 80% limit!
Now, why in the world would Form 2106EZ list these things if only "reservists & performing artists"
were allowed to use it?
So please cool your skepticism until you read everthing; your responses lead me to believe you
have not. I'm not some know-it-all trying to impress anyone with bogus tax preparation methods
here;
I am trying to help folks out. You might save yourself some money IF you can't
itemize but want to take the meal-allowance deduction anyway.
Please note my original post is a
query to Rev Vassago, not a lecture on tax deductions.
I'm not qualified, true.
As far as you thinking I slipped under the IRS radar on this....no, I did not. My 2007 return was
recently examined because the IRS wanted to tax $26K I had withdrawn from a Legacy Treasury
Direct account that year, after losing my job in the auto industry. But they didn't get a dime and
closed the exam, because I was able to prove that the money was
entirely after-tax
money (meaning it was ALREADY taxed when received in 1997 thru 2006, and was not in a tax-
advantaged account such as an IRA). It pays to keep good records....and of course the Federal
employees at Legacy Treasury Direct were able to confirm the status of the account. Withdrawing
the cash was not a taxable event, just as withdrawing money from a bank savings
account isn't taxed. The IRS's little fishing-expedition netted them nothing.
And by the way, an "exam" is not a full-fledged audit, although it can lead to one. THIS one
never made it past the polite-letter stage.
My point?....about the exam? Simply that my Line 24 listing of my Form 2106EZ deductions
(50% of the standard $39 per day for 225 days in Utah)
never raised an IRS eyebrow
....nor should it have. It's legal.
Kindly SHOW ME where the IRS states I can't bring my Form 2106EZ deductions to Line 24. And
don't repeat that "reservists, performing artists, etc." mantra. Yes, the rules are VAGUE on this,
which is why you believe I'm wrong. But this method is used widely in the technical-services
industry by engineers and designers like myself to deduct motel, transportation and meal costs
(at the 50% of $39 rate mentioned above) when working out-of-state
for less than one year
....another limitation I forgot to mention previously.
So in conclusion, please don't be offended because I implied you're naive....I apologize if you
resent that. I simply think you're accepting the intentionally vague IRS pronouncements about
these rules at face value....and we all know who's side THEY are on, right? :thumbsup: