|
Contact
the references for up to date information.
Your
Comments on This Section Are Welcome
The IRS
The
IRS is the ultimate source for information. Its "home page"
is http://www.irs.gov. But
we have also provided other, perhaps more understandable references
for you below.
The
IRS provides "Publication 529, Miscellaneous Deductions".
See http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p529.pdf. This
document is in PDF format. If your browser is not set to open this
type of document directly, you should RIGHT CLICK on the above link,
and save the file to disk.
There is a FREE PDF-file
reader for computers and handheld (PDA) devices called Acrobat
from Adobe. (WINDOWS users: go to Acrobat
Reader 5.1 - English for Windows 98, Me, NT 4.0, 2000, and XP
8.6 MB)
Job Search
Expenses
You
can deduct certain expenses you have in looking for a new job in
your present occupation, even if you do not get a new job. You cannot
deduct these expenses if:
1. You
are looking for a job in a new occupation,
2. There
was a substantial break between the ending of your last job and
your looking for a new one, or
3. You
are looking for a job for the first time.
You
use Schedule A, Miscellaneous deductions on your tax return to record
these expenses. Only the total deductionsabove 2%of your
adjusted income are deductible. If you have no income, or if your
expenses do not exceed 2% of your adjusted income, then there is
no benefit.
Job Search Expense
Record(Always do a virus check if you download)
Employment and outplacement
agency fees
You can deduct employment
and outplacement agency fees you pay in looking for a new job
in your present occupation.
Employer pays you
back
If, in a later year,
your employer pays you back for employment agency fees, you must
include the amount you receive in your gross income up to the
amount of your tax benefit in the earlier year. See Recoveries
in IRS Publication 525.
Employer pays the
employment agency
If your employer pays
the fees directly to the employment agency and you are not responsible
for them, you do not include them in your gross income.
Résumé
You can deduct amounts
you spend for typing, printing, and mailing copies of a résumé
to prospective employers if you are looking for a new job in your
present occupation.
Travel and transportation
expenses
If you travel to an
area and, while there, you look for a new job in your present
occupation; you may be able to deduct travel expenses to and from
the area. You can deduct the travel expenses if the trip is primarily
to look for a new job. The amount of time you spend on personal
activity compared to the amount of time you spend in looking for
work is important in determining whether the trip is primarily
personal or is primarily to look for a new job.
Even if you cannot
deduct the travel expenses to and from an area, you can deduct
the expenses of looking for a new job in your present occupation
while in the area.
You may choose to use
the standard mileage rate to figure your car expenses. The standard
mileage rate for 2012 is 50 cents per mile as per http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=216048,00.html .
Meals
50% of meal costs are
deductible
Legal Fees
You can deduct legal
fees related to doing or keeping your job.
Other Expenses
Paper, toner, stamps,
business-cards etc are all deductible.
Home Office
This is a gray area.
Check out the following link :http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/industries/article/0,,id=97881,00.html
Other
References
http://www.hrblock.com/sept11/individuals/job_search_expense.html
http://www.worldlawdirect.com/article/916/Deduct_expenses_looking_for_a_new_job.html
This site has information
about types of deductions that are allowed, the forms used to
report your expenses, and the records to keep.
http://www.kiplinger.com/columns/ask/archive/1999/q0308.htm
Other
Information
General pointers
on what can be deducted (some duplication with above)
- Mileage to and from
Networking Meetings - at $0.365 per mile
- Cost of attending
WIND or 495_NSG Meetings: “donation” and mileage
- Parking and Mileage
for free Job Fairs
- Cost of attending
a lecture or meeting where you are networking.
- Lunch/coffee meeting
– mileage at $0.365 per mile and 50% of meal costs
- Cost of newspapers/magazines
purchased for job search.
- Connection cost
for Internet required for job search, ie: upgrade to broadband.
- Work related education
“to maintain or improve your skill required in your present
work”.
- Dues to professional
organizations, IEEE, ASHA, FENG, (“your acronym here”)
- Phone costs related
to job search – maybe you have your Cell Phone just for the
job search or have data to support how much of your phone use
is dedicated to employment.
- Software for education,
for tax calculation.
- Hardware you purchased
specific for automating your job search – like a PDA, or additional
disk drive.
- Office miscellaneous
expenses – like paper, ink cartridges, folders, calendar, pens
- Business Card printing
- US Mail costs.
- Training Courses
for maintaining your required skill level
|