Discussion:Prison guard haircut deduction
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Discussion Forum Index --> Tax Questions --> Prison guard haircut deduction
PaperworkCPA (talk|edits) said: | 30 March 2008 |
| I have a new client- a prison guard/correctional officer.
He is required to have short hair for safety reasons. Apparently, so that prisoners can not pull his hair. He is getting his haircuts about every 2 weeks at a cost of $10 a haircut. Do you think that in this case it would be deductible? My first thought is no way. My second thought is because it is for safety - maybe? Then I started wondering about employee business deductions for specific types of employees - would hairnets be deductible for a food server but not an office worker? The longer I think about this possible deduction, the more I know I need some time off. | |
| 30 March 2008 | |
| There are CO's here in NY who have been going to a preparer (not me) for years who have been taking haircuts, ammo, range fees, gym fees and on and on. My CO clients kept asking me take these deductions, but I refused. Their coworkers are all now getting audit notices for all of these expenses & the haircuts have not flown in these audits. | |
| 30 March 2008 | |
| Krav,
Why not ammo and range fees. If they have shooting tests for work I don't see why not. Gym fees and haircuts I would say no. | |
| 30 March 2008 | |
| I agree when they are legitimate and itemized out for how much was actually required for work and for certification- however in this case, he took it for every CO - some of whom don't even carry weapons. | |
PaperworkCPA (talk|edits) said: | 30 March 2008 |
| Thanks for the comments. I won't give the prison guard the haircut deduction.
This year it seems like I have several new clients who have employee business expenses and I wonder about a lot of these expenses. They all have receipts because they bought the specialized stuff on the internet and printed out several copies of the receipts. I ask if they turned in a receipt to work and already got reimbursed and a lot of times the answer is yes-so no deduction. But I am shocked at what people say they buy for work and don't get reimbursed. The prison guard has his own gun and he says so does every other prison guard at that prison. The K-9 police officer has to buy his own dog treats but is reimbursed for dog food. The people who work in agriculture are reimbursed for CPR classes but not nursing staff in hospitals. The dental hygienist on a W-2 buys her own magnifying eyeglasses. The baseball umpire only gets reimbursed so many baseballs per game but has to buy baseballs by the dozen and therefore pays for the unused baseballs. Is it just me or by luck I just usually see old people with dividends and interest or Sch C businesses? Several of these clients are the kids of long-time clients so I pretty much have to do the returns. | |
Donniecastleman (talk|edits) said: | 30 March 2008 |
| You could always argue that haircuts would normally cost X amount for a normal person, let's say $15 every 6 weeks, let's say that us normal people get our hair cut 8 times a year for a total of $120. If the haircut requirements are specific in the CO handbook deduct anything above normal haircut expense. Just like someone that is a dancer that goes through makeup by the caseload, subtract how much makeup would be used by a normal person and deduct the rest. IMHO, the rules that govern the deduction of part of your cellphone, for example, also apply to other industries as well. | |
Donniecastleman (talk|edits) said: | 30 March 2008 |
| So deduct $140 for haircuts. | |
| 31 March 2008 | |
| In many prisons there are inmates who are assigned to give the officers haircuts and they pay nothing. Think they report them? I did not think so. | |
| 31 March 2008 | |
| How long can you let your hair grow before an inmate can grab it? I am very dilatory about getting haircuts but still wouldn't fear getting my locks yanked. What is the rule for lady guards? Do they have to get clipped like the guys? | |
| 31 March 2008 | |
| It seems to me that if it were a big safety concern there would be specific hair length requirements set by the prisons/jails. Failing that - frequent haircuts are not deductible. | |
PaperworkCPA (talk|edits) said: | 31 March 2008 |
| I will ask about the specific haircut requirements. It is one thing for the requirement to say the hair should be short to prevent the hair from being grabbed and another to say it may be no longer than 1 inch. And I had been wondering about the requirement for women guards. Thanks for all the comments. | |
| 31 March 2008 | |
| There are haircut requirements for military too, but not deductible. Is it required that you pay for the cuts, or could you just get a clipper and have your bud do it? If it has to be that short, it aint difficult to cut. | |
| 31 March 2008 | |
| This is inane....very minor tax savings here. Anyway, good luck in an audit....this would be considered a personal expense. | |
Donniecastleman (talk|edits) said: | 31 March 2008 |
| My call is if you can find it spelled out in the CO manual, then the amount above and beyond ordinary is deductible. But I bet you a dollar you won't find it, sort of like in the movie where Tom Cruise's character asks the officer to find Code Red in the Army handbook, won't happen. More likely to see dollar gas this year than to find specifics on hair. | |
| 31 March 2008 | |
| even spelled out in the CO manual, its not deductible. Just like a dress code at work doesn't make the clothes deductible. the haircut is suitable for street wear... | |
Death&Taxes (talk|edits) said: | 31 March 2008 |
| Seems to me this same discussion could be had about flight attendants, or back in the "good old days," Price Waterhouse required the men to wear only white shirts [women? what were they? for that matter, at the Big Eight firms you could ask the same question of Blacks and those of the Jewish religion but those strictures were not written, only the white shirt requirement.
Tdh puts it best: at 25% on $140 you might be able to buy a good white shirt today. | |
Dennis9987 (talk|edits) said: | 31 March 2008 |
| I had a police officer tell me that his co workers were deducting haircuts because they have a "look good" standard that must be met to do their job. I laughed and told him so does every other business person. I have also seen a return prepared by a CPA who is taking massive employee exp deductions for auto sales people. 35 grand on 100 grand income with no documentation except a conversation with the taxpayer. Wierd stuff out there! | |
RoyDaleOne (talk|edits) said: | 31 March 2008 |
| How about all the military people and their haircuts?
I have two sons in the Army and if they can not deduct their haircuts who can? Oh, I forgot on a movie set; where there is no reality. | |
Taxestaxes (talk|edits) said: | 31 March 2008 |
| Paperwork- I dont know if he had other job related expenses, but if not, even if the haircuts were deductible, would they even be enough? So maybe let him know, that they arent, and even if they were-there wasnt enough to make a difference in his refund? Kind of like TD555 comments, it would only be minor in his tax savings anyway? | |
| 31 March 2008 | |
| I'm losing the hair on the top of my head. Is there a re-forestization credit that can be taken if I join the Hair Club for Men?
please advise | |
PaperworkCPA (talk|edits) said: | 1 April 2008 |
| Update on the story.
I saw the client today. I pressed him on the requirement for short hair. I explained that in New York a bunch of Correction Officers had lost the haircut deduction in audits. His only hope on this possible deduction was for the additional haircuts over the normal amount as a safety issue and the deduction was going to be small. (Thanks to all who gave me this info.) Well, the requirement is that the hair cannot interfere with using a gas mask in case gas is used on the prisoners. The hair cannot touch the ears. Men and women have the same requirement. I told him this was not specific enough for a deduction. | |
Donniecastleman (talk|edits) said: | 1 April 2008 |
| All this arguing over $140 worth of haircut deduction that will equal between $14 and $28 in tax savings has made me tired, going to bed after a 14 hour day in the home office. | |
