[CAUT] PTG Dues

[Carl Root]

I assume that most salaried technicians do some outside work.  The  
IRS wants you to declare that income which would necessitate your  
filing a schedule C.  As long as you're making an attempt to run this  
side business profitably, that is, not claiming expenses in excess of  
income year after year, then I don't see the problem.

Carl D. Root, RPT
www.rhythmimages.com



On Jan 8, 2008, at 12:05 AM, Israel Stein wrote:

> At 11:00 AM 1/7/2008, caut-request at ptg.org wrote:
>> IF your only source of income is working for someone else, and you  
>> are required by your employer to belong to a trade organization,  
>> and/or your employer requires you to purchase your own tools to do  
>> your work, then they are deductible.
>> Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT
>> Piano Tuner/Technician
>> Honolulu, HI
>> Author of
>> The Business of Piano Tuning
>> available from Potter Press
>> www.pianotuning.com
>
>
> Folks,
>
> If anyone here believes the above as written and follows this  
> advice - they  might be unpleasantly surprised.
>
> What we are dealing with here are Employee Business Expenses -  
> which are subject to a 2% limitation. Which means that this would  
> be deductible only if your expenses of this sort total more than 2%  
> of your Adjusted Gross Income and you can only deduct the portion  
> that is in excess of your Adjusted Gross Income. Which means:
>
> If your pre-tax salary is $55,000 for the year, and you have  
> adjustments to income (such as certain moving expenses, eligible  
> IRA contributions, alimony payments or other such deductions) of  
> $5000 so your Adjusted Gross Income is $50,000, then you can't  
> deduct anything less than 2% of 50,000 - which is $1,000. And you  
> can only deduct amounts in excess of $1,000 - that is, if you spent  
> a total of $1,112  on dues and tools, you can only deduct $112.
>
> And if you don't believe me, look at your IRS Schedule A to Form  
> 1040 - and read the instructions.
>
> I wish people who write stuff would research it before they write.
>
> Israel Stein
>
>