Re:Algorithmic auditors are exposing employee expense fraud
by puranjay on Tuesday December 04, 2018 @11:56AM
(#18601171)
Slightly OT, but I wonder if you should be able to claim yoga/gym or even clothes as an expense. If being a consultant means projecting a certain image (fit, well-dressed), shouldn't you be paid for maintaining that image?
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Re:Algorithmic auditors are exposing employee expense fraud
by ballenf on Tuesday December 04, 2018 @12:07PM
(#18601270)
The IRS in the US has rules that designates things as taxable income or not for many of these questions. Businesses can still reimburse regardless of IRS categorization, but you may be taxed on the reimbursement as income.
To avoid that issue, most businesses will avoid reimbursing for incidentals that should be considered income. Suits or standard office clothing, I believe, are taxable in most circumstances. Uniforms are not. Of course there's lots of grey areas that keep accountants in business. I'd assume yoga would count as an exercise allowance and not be taxable, but that's just a guess.
Re:Algorithmic auditors are exposing employee expense fraud
by ghaff on Tuesday December 04, 2018 @02:14PM
(#18602721)
Safety-related clothing is also deductible. When I worked in the oil business I could deduct things like steel-toed boots, overall, gloves, etc. off my taxes (or the company could have provided them for me as a business expense). At the same time, as you say, even if I only wear a suit for work, it's not deductible. Such is the simplicity of our tax code :-)