Hi folks, I do home based part-time consulting in addition to my full time job. While doing my taxes I realized that I can deduct the mileage spent going to Bank, Post Office, Client’s Office and Hardware Store. I didn’t not log my miles every time I got in and out of the car but my bank deposit proves my travel to the bank, my credit card purchases prove my travel to hardware store and my PO BOX proves that I had to go to post office to pickup the mail.
Is that enough proof to deduct my 700 miles for business errands for past year ?
My total number of miles for the year is about 9500 miles which out of that 3500 is for commuting to my full time job office.
I keep reading that IRS scrutinizes mileage deductions and it’s a well known red flag. Is it even worth taking the 0 deduction here, especially that I didn’t keep a detailed daily log and my only proofs are what I listed above?
I understand that each trip needs to be logged and proved. Can this log be created at the end of the year using the transaction information from Credit Card, Bank Account and online map to see the miles traveled ? Or does it HAVE to be logged on the same day of the trip.

I run a business from home on part time basis. am wondering if i can include expenses i did not deduct for 2003 2004 and 2005?

alternatively how else would i be able to make those deductions form those years now? surely the IRS must have a provision for this.

P/S
BTW i just happened to come across the receipts from those years.

Where I worked part time went out of business. I filed for Unemployment benifits and was notified I was elegible for .00 a week. Upon getting my first check stating .00 a week benefits Deductions: .00 for retirement, .00 for taxes thus my weekly payment is .00 (a distance from the .00 I was notified to recieve.) The reason for denial of full stated benefits is that I that I collect my own social security payment which they concider an income therefore the denial of full benefits.
I feel this to be descriminationg as my co-workers that are collecting Social Security from their spouses are recieving their FULL benifit with no deductions. I am being penilized for trying to make ends honestly meet and I feel this not fair.

I just began a job working for a company as a bookkeeper with part-time hours. My work hours are classified as contract labor. I am the only (employee?) there so they didn’t want to set up payroll for one person. I agreed to pay my own taxes. I will issue myself a 1099 at the end of the year. Which box would I put my total income made? Can I keep tract of my commute mileage for a tax deduction? I will be driving approx. 30 miles one way. What about tolls? I will probably just take a lunch to work but if I eat out, how about meals as a deduction. Now to make things more complicated, I will be filing married, joint return with my husband and his self-employed business income. I do not have a business of my own. We have our taxes done by a CPA so there is no problem there. My problem is mileage b/c he has mileage too and we have one cell phone to share for my work and his work. Any help will be appreciated. I know to keep all receipts. Thanks in advanc

My wife works 3 jobs as a part time professor. She travels 40 miles to one job and 40 miles to another, without a office at any of her schools, therefore does most all of her office work at home. I would like to know if it is possible to claim car expenses (Gas, Registration, and taxes, etc.) on our yearly tax filings? Literally, she has a home office, and also travels for work… although some may consider it commuting to work, it is literally traveling from one job to another, on business. Any ideas?

I am an independent contractor for a ballet company. I also work part-time for a regular W-2 filing job. When filling out the vehicle expense section of Schedule C I do not understand what the difference is between business miles and commuting miles. Are commuting miles those between my W-2 job and home while business miles are those between the ballet company and home? So confused.

with the past tax debt also in my name, we are paying monthly to settle that. for the future should I file separately to keep myself apart from his business. I work part-time and have my taxes deducted but will this hurt me b/c I will have no deductions.

I asked the following question a few days ago:

"I’m a graduate student, but I also work part-time.

For my dissertation research, I’ve received 3 grants. Grant A is from a government agency — they gave the money to my university, which buys the stuff I need for me. I’m not going to declare this grant as income, and I’m not going to deduct any of the expenses. Grant B is the same, only it’s from a private foundation.

Grant C is from another private organization. Unlike the other two, they’re giving the money directly to me. They asked for my info to fill out a 1099 form. Does this mean that I have to include this grant as personal income?

When I use the grant for dissertation-related expenses (travel to collect data, lab supplies, publishing charges), can I deduct these when I prepare my taxes? I know that you can deduct business-related expenses if your employer doesn’t reimburse you, but does this count as a job? And I know that, as a student, you can deduct education-related expenses like tuition and activity fees, but this doesn’t seem to be in the same category."

The one answer I got said that no, I couldn’t deduct them. I didn’t like that (who likes paying taxes?), so I looked at the IRS website.

I found the IRA guidelines for deducting education expenses:

"You can deduct the costs of qualifying work-related education as business expenses. This is education that meets at least one of the following two tests.

The education is required by your employer or the law to keep your present salary, status, or job. The required education must serve a bona fide business purpose of your employer.

The education maintains or improves skills needed in your present work.

However, even if the education meets one or both of the above tests, it is not qualifying work-related education if it:

Is needed to meet the minimum educational requirements of your present trade or business, or

Is part of a program of study that will qualify you for a new trade or business.

You can deduct the costs of qualifying work-related education as a business expense even if the education could lead to a degree."

Here is my situation: I am a full time graduate student in anthropology. I teach anatomy part time at a different university. Obviously, I don’t need the PhD to teach, since I’m teaching now, but most of the other teachers have Ph.D.’s in anthropology or another field. My original career goal was to become a researcher. Now, I think I’ll stick with teaching. My dissertations doesn’t directly impact by ability as an anatomy teacher, but I think I’ll have more job opportunities with a Ph.D. (in any field) than I would if I didn’t finish my dissertation.

Do you think I can deduct my expenses as work-related educational expenses?
V.B., I’m not trying to twist the tax law … I was just trying to see if there was a way to save money since I’m going to have to pay taxes on thousands of dollars that are basically going to go straight to my advisor’s lab.

I am looking into setting up a home based Business as a part time thing. I have a day job and I would like to do this music endeavor on the side. I want this to be legitimate but I know I will be making very little money and writing off a lot in tax deductions. Does anyone have experience in with this type of scenario? Is there a reasonable expectation that IRS has around how much revenue needs to come in for how much you are writing off? I don’t want the Business to appear fraudulent although I have more to gain from a tax deduction basis.

I under withheld in my regular full time job and owe alot in taxes…i have a part time home based business that i spent alot more on than i made, can i use deductions to offset the revenue as well as lower my gross income from my regular job? I read u can only use the deductions up to whatever the revenue was for the home based business?