Where will you be spending the spring outage season?

[CarolinaGirl]

What outage(s) will you be attending this season? What factors led to your selection?

[vikingfan]

at hatch rigth now, just left clinton, and going to quad after hatch then to cooper. decision ?? company said this is where were sending you !

[G-reg]

Millstone.  The pay struck me as fair, especially for my first-time-ever outage.  And I live just outside of 50 miles from the plant, so I'll draw PD and still be able to commute (3.5 gallons of gas per day still beats lodging costs, but if prices go up any further I may have to recalculate...).  I'm hoping I'll be lucky enough to roll into another outage during the ramp-down, but I'm not betting the farm on it - one day at a time, and I'll see what tomorrow holds when I get there.

But for now, Millstone is what I've got.

- Greg

[Rennhack]

Millstone.  The pay struck me as fair, especially for my first-time-ever outage.  And I live just outside of 50 miles from the plant, so I'll draw PD and still be able to commute (3.5 gallons of gas per day still beats lodging costs, but if prices go up any further I may have to recalculate...).  I'm hoping I'll be lucky enough to roll into another outage during the ramp-down, but I'm not betting the farm on it - one day at a time, and I'll see what tomorrow holds when I get there.

But for now, Millstone is what I've got.

- Greg

Oh Jesus, don't let Beercourt hear about that.  He'll be forced to explain to you that if you don't actually have duplicate expences the IRS law says you can't have TAX FREE per diem.  Just make sure you claim it on your taxes as income.

[SloGlo]

Oh Jesus, don't let Beercourt hear about that.  He'll be forced to explain to you that if you don't actually have duplicate expences the IRS law says you can't have TAX FREE per diem.  Just make sure you claim it on your taxes as income.

'n make sure yinz dokument alla yer miles two brakefast 'n dinner so's ya kin take dat mileage offa yer gross. 

[Already Gone]

Oh Jesus, don't let Beercourt hear about that.  He'll be forced to explain to you that if you don't actually have duplicate expences the IRS law says you can't have TAX FREE per diem.  Just make sure you claim it on your taxes as income.

Don't be a smartass.  If you get per diem, you don't have to prove any expenses.  Per diem is proof of expenses.  Just don't tell Bartlett.  They'll want to take it away.

[Rennhack]

Don't be a smartass.  If you get per diem, you don't have to prove any expenses.  Per diem is proof of expenses.  Just don't tell Bartlett.  They'll want to take it away.

Oh come on, you know that isn't right.  I can find your posts on here that say so.  The reason Bartlett would want to take it away is that it's illegal to pay it if there aren't duplicate expences.  The 50 mile rule is just one of many qualifiers needed.

[illegalsmile]

maybe they'll just tax it as "subsistance allowance." They've done that on several long-term jobs.

[Rennhack]

maybe they'll just tax it as "subsistance allowance." They've done that on several long-term jobs.

In the words of Troy, Don't be silly.  G-reg isn't going to tell them... and none one at Bartlett reads these threads... right??

[illegalsmile]

In the words of Troy, Don't be silly. 

I seem to recall his words as being a bit different from "Don't be silly"

[Already Gone]

When working 6 or 7 12's you may find that 50 miles is as good as a thousand.  If those aren't Interstate Highway miles, you may find that the math works out like this:

12 hours work + 1/2 hour lunch + 30 min walk from contractor parking lot to your assigned area + 30 min walk back to car at night + 1 hour to work in car + 1 hour home in car + half hour of showering, dressing, finding your keys ... etc.  = 16 hours.  This leaves 8 hours to sleep.  But, your wife will want you to take out garbage, mow lawn, shovel driveway, go to kid's band concert, take her to dinner ...

The price of a motel suddenly looks like a bargain.

I do not work outages anywhere near home, per diem or no per diem.  It only gives the illusion that I am at home.

[Rennhack]

I don't believe the 50 mile rule is one of the IRS's. It is one of Bartlett's.Troy do you know?

It is an IRS rule.

[Already Gone]

It is an IRS rule -- just not actually related to per diem.

The IRS considers moving expenses to be deductible under certain conditions.  One of those conditions is that the distance from your old home to your new job is at least 50 miles more than the distance from your old home to your old job.  For example: you drive 27 miles each way to work.  You get a new job, which would require you to drive 77 miles each way.  You move closer to your new job.  Your moving expenses may be deductible.  If the old job was 27 miles away but the new job is only 45 miles away, you can move to a new home, but the expense won't be deductible.

What does this have to do with per diem?  Nothing.  But the IRS only considers your expenses for travel to be deductible if you are away from your tax home.  Define the word "away".  Get it?  So, 50 miles is a thumbrule that companies use because it is the closest thing to a definition that the IRS will give.  It is a good thumbrule, if you figure that the temporary job is >50 miles further from your house than your house is so you moved to a Motel6 or KOA to be closer to work and the full moon is in the seventh house and Jupiter aligns with Mars and peace will guide the planets......

This is the pub for employee business expenses.  It tells you when and how to deduct your expenses.

http://www.irs.gov/publications/p463/ch01.html#d0e368

Per diem, being a reimbursement for expenses, follows the same logic as the above rule.  A reimbursement is just that - and not taxable income - if it is for legitimate business expenses.  Legitimate business expenses are defined in the rule which tells you how to deduct them if they are not reimbursed.

Are we starting to notice a pattern here?  The IRS never actually tells you how to figure anything out.  They just tell you how they figure out other stuff that is somehow related, and leave it to you to put all that together.

The question was:  Where will you be spending the spring outage season?
Answer: At the dining room table, trying to do my *&%$**( taxes!!!

[G-reg]

Just don't tell Bartlett.  They'll want to take it away.

Honestly, Bartlett told ME about it...

2008 is going to be my first year out of the Navy, so my taxes come next January are going to be like nothing I've ever experienced before.  But right now if I chew bubble gum while I think about my next job, I'm keeping the gum receipt.  I've got a year to get the tax codes sorted out (and find a fantabulous tax consultant - who am I kidding, "figure out the tax codes"...)

But speaking of taxes AND getting back on topic, another advantage Millstone has for me is that it simplifies my state income tax situation next year, because the plant and my house are both conveniently located in the same state.  So at least it's not an ADDITIONAL state I have to file an income tax return with.

Answer: At the dining room table, trying to do my *&%$**( taxes!!!

Amen!

[shovelheadred]

..Hey,,G-reg..I know you are fresh out of the Navy,,,so you don't remember the big IRS takeaway at D.C.Cook, in the 90's...you better reread or read MaxParity's post about perdilio..prediem...per-diem whatever..there were many R.A.T.'s that were doing what you described,,and had to pay quite a large sum of money ...MaxParity said he wouldn't advise doing what you are..Beercourt told you what he thought..and Rhennhack told you Bartlett reads these posts,,,so wake up...if you get a good deal..keep it to yourself, or like what happened at Cook,,which was someone getting busted for taxes and ratting out their Buddy's, so their payment to Uncle would be less could happen to you,,believe me, this isn't that canoe club you are used to, this is the real world, brother,,and it's every tech for themselves..if you don't believe me..wait until layoff time comes and you haven't bought the site coordinator or the lead tech enough beer or like at Duke ( bought enough Oklahoma salsa), you will be numero uno, and the money spenders will there when you go to Massachusetts for an unemployment check, or do you know about that, yet?..red

[G-reg]

..Hey,,G-reg..I know you are fresh out of the Navy,,,so you don't remember the big IRS takeaway at D.C.Cook, in the 90's...you better reread or read MaxParity's post about perdilio..prediem...per-diem whatever..there were many R.A.T.'s that were doing what you described,,and had to pay quite a large sum of money ...MaxParity said he wouldn't advise doing what you are..Beercourt told you what he thought..and Rhennhack told you Bartlett reads these posts,,,so wake up...if you get a good deal..keep it to yourself, or like what happened at Cook,,which was someone getting busted for taxes and ratting out their Buddy's, so their payment to Uncle would be less could happen to you,,believe me, this isn't that canoe club you are used to, this is the real world, brother,,and it's every tech for themselves..if you don't believe me..wait until layoff time comes and you haven't bought the site coordinator or the lead tech enough beer or like at Duke ( bought enough Oklahoma salsa), you will be numero uno, and the money spenders will there when you go to Massachusetts for an unemployment check, or do you know about that, yet?..red

Red,
I read you loud & clear, and I read MaxParity's post (http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,7256.msg50653.html#msg50653).
None of what I posted really struck me as a scam.  I'll take per diem whenever/wherever it's offered, and keep all of my receipts, and I'll sort it all out at the end of the year.  If the per diem (or any part thereof) ends up as taxable income, then I'll "give unto Caesar ..." as required.  But I think it would be senseless to turn down ANY per diem on the basis that it could be taxed; that would be similar to saying "don't give me a pay raise because it will make my taxes go up".  Taking the extra money and paying the extra taxes (if/when required) still ends up as an overall net deposit in my bank account.  So I guess I don't count the presence/absence of per diem as a state secret...
Favoritism isn't a monopoly anywhere, either.  My failure to embrace the ways of the Inner Circle is the primary reason it took me 18 years to make Chief here - and you may make of that whatever you choose to.  I'll do what I get paid to do - to the very best of my ability - and if I subsequently get dropped early because I didn't make somebody's SPECIAL list, then so be it; I'll take my pink slip and go work somewhere else.  Some people are more about playing the game, and it certainly does work well for them - to each their own...  What works for me doesn't have to work for anybody else.
Peace, everybody.
- Greg

[PWHoppe]

G-reg,

You're on the right track. I too was at the Cookie Farm during the great Per-Diem bust. It was not as simple as it all sounds. Some (not all) of the folks involved did NOT live greater than 50 miles from the plant. There were also many of those involved who had been at the plant in excess of 2 years continuously. Get a good tax professional and let the chips fall where they may. Good Luck 

To stay on topic, I'll be at the Besse

[Cathy]

Damn the time off went too fast!!
Leaving for Brunswick soon and then off to Summer and then off for summer!!

[Camella Black]

Millstone.  The pay struck me as fair, especially for my first-time-ever outage.  And I live just outside of 50 miles from the plant, so I'll draw PD and still be able to commute (3.5 gallons of gas per day still beats lodging costs, but if prices go up any further I may have to recalculate...).  I'm hoping I'll be lucky enough to roll into another outage during the ramp-down, but I'm not betting the farm on it - one day at a time, and I'll see what tomorrow holds when I get there.

But for now, Millstone is what I've got.

- Greg

Hey, Millstone is a great place to work, please tell everyone that Henry and Camella Black said hello.

[HousePuke]

Fitzpatrick.  Not an outage, just a new "house"puke job. 

Actually, happy to be here. 

Good luck and safe travel to those of you working the road.

[Fermione]

Same here Steve.  No Diem for a long time.  I am heading to Limerick then back to the Shore, but these days it's expenses.  Not so bad.  EXELON ponies up pretty quickly.
Jon