Help with tax audit, accountants?

Question

I was recently audited, I work for a railroad and am required to have a phone, so I claimed it as an employee business expense, it was disallowed in the audit, I was allowed to deduct my cell phone but not the home line.
In addition I keep a vehicle at my away from home terminal to use when I eat, it is not required but the company does not provide a way to get meals at the away fromhome terminal. The vehicle mileage log I keep was also disallowed.
Other employees have been audited and were allowed the exact same deductions, there seems to be no consistency in the field auditors. Are these deductions valid in my case or is the auditor correct?

Answer 1

AT first blush I'd say that the auditor was correct. A home phone line is virtually never deductible as you're virtually certain to have one for personal use anyway. Any long distance charges on it related to work would be deductible, however.

Meal runs are personal use so that usage would not be allowable. If you made runs for your employer, say for parts or to transport yourself or other employees to other job sites that would be deductible. The use has to be required by your employer and for his benefit for the expense to be deductible.

Since you weren't present at the other audits, you have no way of knowing what was allowed on them or how the other folks presented the expenses and tied them to an employer requirement.

Answer 2

I would say that the auditor was correct. If you need a phone the cell phone would be the one allowed to be deductible, as a cell phone is portable and you can have that with you if the railroad needs to contact you. They can only reach you on the home phone if you are home at the time they call. Also, mileage for going out to eat is never deductible. I would say that if you have to drive all over the place to get to different parts of the railroad company the mileage for that should be deductible, but just driving to have lunch is not.

Answer 3

definite. lobbyists at the instant are giving money to senators at tiers that are in simple terms fairly under earlier the bailouts. Its disgusting what those bastards ruin out with. An audit of the federal reserve will probable by no potential take place nevertheless. We cant even get law exceeded that would grant transparency for different forms of economic practices and schmes (derivatives) that wall street douche luggage particpate in. **** THEM and **** CAPITALISM.