Any tax experts out there?

Parent Cafe
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<p>Because H has been unable to find permanent full time work in his field in our area, he is working a temporary contract job in another city. We own a travel trailer he’s using for his office as he’s done before, which we bought just for this purpose. It’s never been used for anything else. When it’s in our hometown, we pay to store it. We are able to deduct RV park rent and expenses because they are all business expenses.</p>

<p>Now he’s been offered a more permanant job in the same area approximately 4.5 hours from the home we own, in which I live full time and him part time. This job is in the same field as the temporary contract job, but he is required to work out of his “home” office, as they do not open single person offices to cut down on unnecessary overhead.</p>

<p>If he takes this job, will we be able to deduct any of his living expenses there as business expenses? I have read much of the information on the IRS site, but being the IRS it’s rather confusing!</p>

<p>Thanks for reading this far and for any advice you can offer.</p>

<p>Side note: I have worked the same full time job since 1984 and do not intend to relocate. In addition to the fact I did not graduate from college, therefore, I don’t think I’d find a job with similar pay and/or benefits in another location (particularly in this economy), my 76 year old mother and her 90 year old sister live in our hometown.</p>

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<p>I’m not a tax expert, but did stay at a holiday inn :)</p>

<p>First: will he still be an independent contractor, or will he be an employee? Regardless, once the job is no longer temporary, he can’t write off the cost of the trailer as temporary living expenses. I don’t see why he can’t write some of it off as office expense though. Except he probably won’t meet the “exclusive use” test unless he can set aside a corner of it as office, and the rest as living expense. If he’s still a contractor, he can write it off on schedule C, but if he’s an employee, he then has to itemize it on schedule A and has to subtract 2% if AGI which reduces it significantly.</p>

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<p>Thanks. I was afraid of that. While he really needs the job, it might not be worth it even with the addition of health insurance & a company car.</p>