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Question for 1099 hospitalists (or other docs who operate at one primary location) out there:
Do you deduct your mileage to/from your primary site (ie, you're really only work at one hospital)?
I know a number of docs here that do, as they claim their "commute" is from their bedroom to their home office. They've been encouraging me more lately to deduct my miles to my primary site.
However, I imagine the IRS would probably see their income is all generated at the hospital, even if they do a lot of charting/billing work from home. I could see perhaps if they chart/bill from home AND are not given a workspace/office at the hospital, that this might be justifiable. Or if they are regularly going to other hospitals. But not if they're really just based at one hospital.
One accountant told me if I go to even one other hospital each week, I could deduct the "commute." Otherwise he said it looks too much like a commute. A WCI-recommended accountant told me no, it still smells like a commute.
I'm leaning heavily against deducting my miles (I haven't the last few years) to my primary site. I'm a rehab physician, and we only have one rehab unit. I do see consults and deduct miles to those hospitals if they're my second location for the day, but clearly I have one clear primary site, and I have an office there. It seems the IRS would consider that my "principle place of work."
Still, if I'm being overly conservative, I'd like to know as deducting all those miles would save me a meaningful amount.
Do you deduct your mileage to/from your primary site (ie, you're really only work at one hospital)?
I know a number of docs here that do, as they claim their "commute" is from their bedroom to their home office. They've been encouraging me more lately to deduct my miles to my primary site.
However, I imagine the IRS would probably see their income is all generated at the hospital, even if they do a lot of charting/billing work from home. I could see perhaps if they chart/bill from home AND are not given a workspace/office at the hospital, that this might be justifiable. Or if they are regularly going to other hospitals. But not if they're really just based at one hospital.
One accountant told me if I go to even one other hospital each week, I could deduct the "commute." Otherwise he said it looks too much like a commute. A WCI-recommended accountant told me no, it still smells like a commute.
I'm leaning heavily against deducting my miles (I haven't the last few years) to my primary site. I'm a rehab physician, and we only have one rehab unit. I do see consults and deduct miles to those hospitals if they're my second location for the day, but clearly I have one clear primary site, and I have an office there. It seems the IRS would consider that my "principle place of work."
Still, if I'm being overly conservative, I'd like to know as deducting all those miles would save me a meaningful amount.
