complicated deductions qs

2 questions:

  1. I graduated college in Colorado last Dec and moved to IL for my first job, however i filed my taxes last year in IL because I wasn't employed yet. Can I claim the moving deduction this year now that I have a full time job?

  2. For half the year, I was working as an independent contractor as a promotional model. I know you can deduct things like clothes, mileage and food on sched C, but I have no receipts. Do credit card statements work instead? If so, do you have to mail them in and explain each one or just keep them in case they ask/audit?

Thank you so much in advance!

Reply to
lauren
Loading thread data ...

"lauren" wrote

Where was your tax home while you were in college? Most college students tax home is their parent's house. If that was Illinois, then you might not have deductible moving expenses.

If your move qualifies as a deductible move, then the deduction is only allowed in the year the expenses were paid. If you paid them in December, it's deductible in that year. If you paid them in January, it's deductible in that year.

No receipts is a problem. More so on the meals deduction. I'm also at a loss as to what clothes you think would be considered "work" clothes. Don't they let you wear the clothing you are modeling? Surely you don't have to buy their clothes to model in.

Sit down with what you do have, and a calendar from last year and reconstruct the where, when, why, how and costs of your modeling business. There may be enough to support some of the deductions you can take, but it's not going to be as much as you think.

Find you a good accountant, CPA or EA, who is familiar with the modeling industry (ask around for referrals) and get them to help you.

Reply to
Paul Thomas, CPA

No. You were not previously employed. However, see below....

Now, you're telling us that you were (self-)employed. I think you need to get your situation straightened out before you ask for help.

Some of those things may be deductible, some won't.

Reply to
D. Stussy

Someone once told me a general rule for deducting clothing is would you be embarrassed to wear the clothing in public? The example she gave me was that one of her clients owned a McDonald's franchise. His McDonald's uniform was deductible to him.

Reply to
Mike20878

BeanSmart website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.