IRS Form 1040 Schedule C and then some

[Terence Miller]

Julia:
  
  I too am sitting back and watching for answers on this.
  
  It pains me to have to go to 'a tax professional' just to get an answer  to one question. My questions pop up at odd times, and not necessarily  when I'm talking to a tax professional. And if I have my taxes done  by somebody, then I really haven't learned anything, and the door is  closed to new questions until next tax season...or meeting at $ ??/hour.
  
  If/when I do break down and go for help I'll take Randy Potter's advice  and have it done by an "Enrolled Agent"...I think that means that they  are specifically qualified/whatever to present your case directly to  the IRS. It's a good thing!
  
  As far as conventions or seminars, consider that they usually contain a  series of different expense opportunities: transportation (airfare,  train, taxi, car rental, gas (if using your own vehicle)), convention  fees, lodging, meals, entertainment, and possibly incidentals.
  
  The type of expense determines where on Schedule C it will show up, so  there is no one line on which to place "the MRC Convention" total  expenses, they have to be broken down.
  
  "Travel Expenses" are fairly easy to isolate, I usually put on line 24a
  -car rental I call a Travel Expense
  -gas for the rental car, Travel Expense
  -driving my own car there, "Car and Truck Expenses", line 9
  -parking, my car or the rental, "Car and Truck", line 9
  -bridge tolls, my car or the rental, "Car and Truck", line 9
  
  "Deductible meals and entertainment", line 24b can get tricky and there  are specific record keeping requirements. They (the IRS) have extended  advice on that in other booklets, and it's a good idea to look at some  of the large tax-preparation books availble at all the  bookstores.  I think that your meals are not a problem so much,  but if you're buying food, drinks, or entertainment for others, you  have to remember who was in the party, and you have to have a  (recorded) business reason for  it.               
  
  
  ???
   I still wonder about all those per diem meal allocation tables  and how they might fit into the  mix.           Any takers?
  ???
  
  
  Hotel/motel expenses I think are Travel, line 24a
  If I stay with a friend and bring them a thankyou gift, I consider that  a Travel expense,. If I take them out to dinner, that is a "Meals"  expense, line 24b
  
  Other Expenses are detailed "from line 48 on page 2"
  I have a line there that I call "Training/Seminars"
  in which I include the cost to get into the Convention.
  If you get picky, the Banquet is a line 24b Meals and Entertainment expense
  
  If I buys tools, "Other Expenses, Tools"
  If I buy books, "Other Expenses, Reference Materials"
  If I sign up for a year of Fine Woodworking, "Other Expenses, Subscriptions"
  If I am charged $2.00 at an ATM while I'm out of town, "Other Expenses, Bank Service Charges
     
  If my wife flies in FRI night for the weekend.......makes me happy, but doesn't show up on my Schedule C.
  
  If I take the next week off and go to Disneyland (or perhaps in your  case, Hershey, PA), all the expenses after checkout time are  mine.......but airfare home for me is part of the Travel Expense that  got me out to the Convention in the first place. And, if I take a cab  to the airport, tip a baggage guy, buy coffee (for me) waiting for the  plane, and buy a lunch (for me) so I don't starve on the plane, that's  a Schedule C expense. So is a parking expense at the origin airport  (less the days you were on vacation) or cab/limo/bus/taxi/tolls back  home.
  
  
  
  
  so that's my guess for Convention-related expenses.
  
  Oh
  be careful about claiming 'Incidentals' expenses. Read their description.
  
  
  
  
  ???                   
  What I'd like to know is, where on the Schedule C to put these items:
  
  computer software purchase
  cell-phone or pocket pc purchase
  
  anybody have any experience here???
  
  thanks
  
  Terry
  
       
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