Vacation or trip report for tax write offs?
May 26, 2014, 8:58 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,738
Vacation or trip report for tax write offs?
Sometimes I have to wonder if bloggers are posting just to get a tax write off on personal vacations. Some are just pretty sloppy in their efforts to piece together a report.
Example.. The Points Guy who recently reviewed the W Hotel in Paris and graced his viewers with these out of focus iPhone shots (8 photos total, half of which are of the actual room):
Notice how he had to go into iPhoto and correct the angle of the photo.
Example.. The Points Guy who recently reviewed the W Hotel in Paris and graced his viewers with these out of focus iPhone shots (8 photos total, half of which are of the actual room):
Notice how he had to go into iPhoto and correct the angle of the photo.
May 26, 2014, 10:28 pm
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
The allowance to get US tax deductions/credits for such activities would be contingent upon, amongst other things, the activities going beyond being a hobby and meeting the IRS criteria for being something beside a hobby. Some people who take tax writeoffs for hobby activities they believed were part of a business can sometimes end up with a nasty surprise from Uncle Sam when the IRS finds the activity to be more hobby than business based on its publicized standards.
May 27, 2014, 4:24 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 26,874
It's a tricky one which ends up as 'it depends'.
If I fly to Manchester tomorrow, fly straight back and review the flights, I would write off 100 per cent.
If I stayed 1 night in a hotel then came back, I could probably still claim the flight and hotel.
If I stayed 5 nights and flew home, I think the tax man would think I was having a laugh if I claimed either the hotel or the flight, even if I reviewed the flight, since the flight was presumably part of a holiday.
All very grey ....
If I fly to Manchester tomorrow, fly straight back and review the flights, I would write off 100 per cent.
If I stayed 1 night in a hotel then came back, I could probably still claim the flight and hotel.
If I stayed 5 nights and flew home, I think the tax man would think I was having a laugh if I claimed either the hotel or the flight, even if I reviewed the flight, since the flight was presumably part of a holiday.
All very grey ....
May 27, 2014, 5:09 am
#4
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,238
Don't compare the IRS to European tax authorities... since the US tax codes doesn't allow a 100% deduction, the rules are a bit more relaxed. Also TPG seems to be a rather large operation so this is probably not just one of 2-3 trips. Also often you get quick handheld photo live updates during the trip and a rather elaborate review with food and bathroom details later one when the trip is complete 
May 27, 2014, 7:39 am
#5
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,655
Those are pretty terrible photos.
Is it wrong to say that I wish some of the selfies people take of themselves in airline pajamas were that blurry!?
Is it wrong to say that I wish some of the selfies people take of themselves in airline pajamas were that blurry!?
May 27, 2014, 9:02 am
#6
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
Don't compare the IRS to European tax authorities... since the US tax codes doesn't allow a 100% deduction, the rules are a bit more relaxed. Also TPG seems to be a rather large operation so this is probably not just one of 2-3 trips. Also often you get quick handheld photo live updates during the trip and a rather elaborate review with food and bathroom details later one when the trip is complete
In any case things like deductions are so fact-dependent, I don't know that anyone can make a blanket assumption or declaration.
May 31, 2014, 12:41 am
#7
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: UA Gold-MM, AA Gold-MM, F9-Silver, Hyatt Something, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,394
