Services - How to get tax return for moving

Job related moves are very much expensive but some of the expenses can be tax deducible. They are deduced from the gross income in the final Income Tax return. Moving the households and lodging on the way to new location is tax deducible. Tax deduction you can avail only if the moving expenses are not reimbursed by the employer.

If you want to deduce the expenses occurred on moving from one location to another due to job change on your tax return you should meet two tests. One is the Distance test; the new job site should be at least 50 miles away from your current job site. Second is the time test, you must work in the company as a full time employee for minimum of 39 out of 52 weeks after the move for which you are deducing the tax returns, or you must have worked full time as self employed for both 39 weeks of 52 and 78 weeks of 104, immediately after the move. If you are satisfying the above two tax tests then you are eligible for tax return on moving.

Following moving expenses you can deduct from the tax returns;

1. The traveling cost of yourself and your family members from your old location to the new location.
2. The cost of moving your household and personal goods such as furniture, appliances, books.

If you are traveling by your own car, the actual expenses e.g. gas or oil are tax deducible or you can go for amount per mile, as admissible. The tolls and parking fees are also tax deducible. However, the car repairs, insurance of the car, maintenance of the car are not tax deducible.

Various moving expenses are not deductible for tax returns as these are pre-move expenses. These may include house hunting, meals, buying or selling the house, improvements in new home, real estate taxes, loss on home sell etc.