The per diem for me amounted to about $14,000 in 2017 but I had a change in filing status so even though I lost that deduction, I still got a refund.

Not sure how it will work out for me next year though.

Truckers weren’t the only ones to lose that either.

Anyone involved in the transportation industry, from pilots to railroad workers that are affected by hours of service regulations and spend nights away from home lost it.

Glad you weren't effected this year. Maybe knowing where the tax grenades are will help you avoid them.

....based on how much already paid in vs. actual tax liability.

For example:

2017 $5000 tax liability, $4500 withheld, net payment of $500
2018 $5500 tax liability, $6000 withheld, net refund of $500

Although the 2018 refund is higher, the tax in 2018 is $500 more than 2017, and increase of 10%. All the analysts on television talk about "refund" vs. actual tax. Many Americans are paying a higher tax, regardless of their "refund".

The answer to your question is;

I don’t know off hand and since I use TurboTax and my login info is saved on my desktop PC, I can’t access old returns on the road, which is where I am as I type this.

The Democrats just gained control in January of 2018

So he owns it. And it was a Republican House and Senate which passed it. So the Republicans own it also.

The dems have run the house for less than 3 months.
Given that irrefutable fact, you sure you want to stick with that opinion?

<iframe width="718" height="404" src="

The itemized deduction for unreimbursed employee business expenses has been repealed for federal returns for the years 2018;through 2025. My state still permits employee costs. And those truckers who work for themselves are not employees so they continue to get this deduction.

FYI

The airlines tend to reimburse for meals during travel but less than the per diem rate allowed by the IRS so pilots etc have gotten a lesser benefit. Also traveling salesmen, some construction workers. Here in California a fishing crew on a California boat fishing off Ecuador got venereal disease in a whorehouse in Ecuador. The workers compensation board ruled that was a work injury and granted them worker compensation benefits.

Y'all wanted the crazy bastard in office, so real the whirlwind...

But at least they stuck it to us libs real gud!

Drives libruls crazy

They can have a good yuk-yuk about it with their families over a bowl of thin broth with a piece of pork fat floating in it.

Asked for a refund, but the man said no...

Last edited Mon Apr 15, 2019, 01:19 PM - Edit history (1)

voted for this monster should've known what he was about. It seems that those that voted for him put aside whatever reasoning to do the right thing and vote for the obviously more qualified candidate aside and voted for him. I can think of only one main reason they did that. Racism and bigotry in one form or another.They obviously didn't give a diddly damn about his multiple frauds, bankruptcies, cheating, lawsuits and failures. All giant red flags, so...

that's why it makes me a little crazy when my sister protests to me that she isn't a racist. of course she is.

Did no one tell them?

NEVER go by "refund." Go by an estimated tax amount.

The deduction for federal tax can change. It's irrelevant. What matters is the AMOUNT you will probably owe for the year. THEN you can look at how much is being prepaid by you, to see if you'll have to pay or will get a refund.

I feel for them. These aren't wealthy workers. These are blue collar workers, most with families. Driving a truck is tedious, dangerous work. They've earned their money.

I wonder why the per diem exemption was taken away? Makes no sense.

I feel bad for the ones who didn't vote for this.

I got a refund this year. But it was about a 1/4 of what I have gotten in the past.

Cops, firefighters, docs, nurses and teachers get props, but truckers are largely anonymous.

Another blue collar crowd Trump has s*it on.