Money Saver: Job hunting may yield added rewards for taxpayers

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1208&u_sid=10527755

Published Friday January 2, 2009
Money Saver: Job hunting may yield added rewards for taxpayers
BY JOE RUFF
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Taxpayers who looked for a job in 2008 might be able to deduct some related costs.

Mark Steber, vice president of tax resources at New Jersey-based Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc., points out the following deductions for taxpayers who itemize:

• Mileage costs accrued on a personal vehicle while job hunting, including trips to interviews and the unemployment office. Between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2008, taxpayers could claim 50.5 cents per mile. Between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2008, they could claim 58.5 cents per mile.

• Costs for creating, printing and mailing résumés.

• Transportation costs such as taking a bus, taxi, train or plane to an interview.

• Meals and lodging if out of town for an interview.

• Parking and tolls when driving to an interview.

• Long distance or mobile telephone charges directly associated with a job search.

• Business research services.

• Medical exam expenses if required by a potential employer.

• If a taxpayer accepted a new job that required relocation, he or she may be able to deduct qualified moving expenses not reimbursed.

Steber said unemployment compensation is taxable on federal and most state tax returns. Income tax is not automatically withheld, but people can elect to have taxes deducted.

People receiving unemployment compensation who did not have taxes withheld throughout the year might have a balance due when filing 2008 income taxes, Steber said.


• Contact the writer: 444-1117, [e-mail]

[NMDemDist2]

1. only if you itemize and the things listed

probably won't add up to the standard deduction

:shrug: