Author Topic: Decisions.....what to do??? (Read 707 times)

greg916 · « **on:** November 21, 2009, 07:48:22 AM »

My company just closed down. The company that absorbed us is considering me for a similar position. However I will take a 7 1/2% pay decrease, and will have to commute 3 hours every day. I am going on my 3rd interview with them Monday. I am still trying to get them to give me a gasoline allowance, but will probably accept the position, even if they do not.

Opinions wanted, what do you think?

Hairtrigger · « **Reply #1 on:** November 21, 2009, 07:51:01 AM »

Depends on the job market in your area.
I live in Ohio but travel quite a bit for my job. From what I see the closer to Detroit, the worse things are.
I have been in some areas that good jobs are available.

kynardsj · « **Reply #2 on:** November 21, 2009, 08:00:48 AM »

Jobs are sometimes hard to come by these days. Even if they don't pay your gas allowance you can still deduct the mileage off your taxes. I travel a lot on my job and keep up with mileage for tax purposes.

greg916 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 21, 2009, 08:15:43 AM »

kynardsj, I need to check on that. I travel a lot for work also, have always claimed the expenses, but did not think that included miles traveled from home to work and back?

victorcharlie · « **Reply #4 on:** November 21, 2009, 08:49:19 AM »

I'd probably take the job and then look for another one.....

I mean, what other options do you have?

powderman · « **Reply #5 on:** November 21, 2009, 11:12:01 AM »

Quote from: victorcharlie on November 21, 2009, 08:49:19 AM

I'd probably take the job and then look for another one.....

I mean, what other options do you have?

YEP. POWDERMAN.

Oldshooter · « **Reply #6 on:** November 21, 2009, 11:53:02 AM »

I'd say take the job and look around!

Now I may be wrong but i dont think you can deduct for travel to work. you can for use of your vehicle for work. From my experience if you go to town X to work that is your nickel and if you drive around town X for work thats deductable.

Skunk · « **Reply #7 on:** November 21, 2009, 12:10:45 PM »

I'd also have to go for taking the new job, then looking around for a different job that has less travel involved.

Brett · « **Reply #8 on:** November 21, 2009, 12:28:58 PM »

Take the job... look around. That's what I'm doing. The old saying "It's a lot easier to find a better job if you all ready have a job." is true. If you go into an interview unemployed, regardless of the circumstances, it's a black mark on your score card.

Graybeard · « **Reply #9 on:** November 21, 2009, 12:45:44 PM »

Unless the job market in your area is VERY GOOD which I doubt and unless you have some really extra ordinary marketable skills you best take the job unless you're ready to retire now. It's better to be looking for a job when you already have one than when unemployed.

You cannot legally deduct cost of driving from home to work on taxes. If you are required to travel on the job as a part of the job you can but you cannot deduct travel from home to job legally.

Sourdough · « **Reply #10 on:** November 21, 2009, 12:58:43 PM »

Ditto, what Graybeard said.

kynardsj · « **Reply #11 on:** November 21, 2009, 01:31:33 PM »

Graybeard I dis-agree on the tax thing. If you just drive to and from work then you can claim mileage for everything after the first 30 miles and all but the last thirty going home. Of corse if your company is paying you mileage you have to deduct what they pay from the 55 cents a mile you can claim on your taxes. My wife and I work from our home office and claim our mileage every year. It cuts down on the taxes. We use Tax Slayer to file with and there is a deduction part in there for it.

Graybeard · « **Reply #12 on:** November 21, 2009, 01:36:17 PM »

Disagree all you like it doesn't change the fact it's NOT legal.

Your home office deal might allow you to be legal in what you are doing. I don't know the facts in your case.

BUT a person who works for a company CANNOT legally claim the cost of driving from home to that job regardless of how close or far that is. If you are ever audited by IRS you will lose that one and likely be audited for many years as a result of claiming an illegal deduction. Of course if you never get audited you might not get caught at it. Me I don't want IRS on me so I'll just stay legal.

kynardsj · « **Reply #13 on:** November 21, 2009, 01:40:57 PM »

I just spoke to the boss, my wife, and she said we could do it because we work from home. That's the reason Tax Slayer lets us claim it. Didn't mean to mess with anybody's way of thinking.

mirage1988 · « **Reply #14 on:** November 21, 2009, 06:00:06 PM »

Six hours of driving a day would be brutal. Instead of negotiating a gas allowance, I would suggest working four 10 hour days and renting a room somewhere for the 3 nights you would be in town. Just a thought.

GatCat · « **Reply #15 on:** November 21, 2009, 08:30:05 PM »

If you keep the job and commute, you might look into car pooling. Or, check into "van-pooling", that is when a company supplies a small van,and the designated driver picks up workers along the way. I believe the Feds provide tax credits for companies that provide that service, as well as possible state and local tax breaks. But in any case, I'd keep the job,and possibly look for another, or consider moving closer, if it works out.
Mark

stubshaft · « **Reply #16 on:** November 21, 2009, 09:58:23 PM »

Quote from: mirage1988 on November 21, 2009, 06:00:06 PM

Six hours of driving a day would be brutal. Instead of negotiating a gas allowance, I would suggest working four 10 hour days and renting a room somewhere for the 3 nights you would be in town. Just a thought.

I did just that when I lived in Kalifornia (drove 3 hours each way). It is extremely tiring by the end of the week. Like others have said you have to look at the local job market and decide for yourself. But I would also take the job and look around.

greg916 · « **Reply #17 on:** November 22, 2009, 02:33:32 AM »

Thanks everyone, you are all thinking about the way I am. Most of the jobs around here are transportation/logistics, and that market is depressed everywhere. We do run a freight agency out of our home, I can always fall back on that if need be, but December January, and February are traditionally slow months.

slim rem 7 · « **Reply #18 on:** November 22, 2009, 04:17:29 AM »

and another job bites the dust due to cannableism
by corp. america..as the law stands,, its leagal ..but here i got to say
the law should serve the people not the profiteers who developed this way of
making mony while destroying long held jobs by americans..
now yall know what i think about too many laws an regulations.. but
enough is enough ..im for law preventing buy outs that just cost americans thier jobs..
man thats hard for me to do..
you have my totally sympathy greg.slim

Hairtrigger · « **Reply #19 on:** November 22, 2009, 05:15:26 AM »

The company I work for was purchased by a European company a year ago. No one wanted to see this except for the previous owners. The new owners have actually brought more manufacturing to the company.
A larger company buying a smaller is not always bad. Especially in my case where it has opened new doors to me.