Originally Posted by
tpersuit
ummm....
I guess that $4,000 I've made so far hasn't gone into my bank account?
I'm confused why you don't think per diem doesn't count towards income. So if airline 'A' pays you $6/hr for per diem and $32/hr flight time vs. airline 'B' that pays you $1/hr and $35/hr, you would go to airline 'B'?
Sorry to burst your bubble, but per diem does count towards your income and it is the best kind, It's Tax Free!
A lot of regionals get paid per diem for day trips. Some however don't pay per diem for day trips, so their income is drastically lower.
For some reason you are very resistant to the fact that some of us are making $40K-$55K on 2nd year pay and get 12 days off/month, why?
Because the numbers you put up are not realistic with all the other BS you claim. You claimed in a previous post to hold 17 days off a month, now you are on reserve. You claim to be able to make $48K/yr on second year pay yet you are still on reserve and somehow seem to get 100+ hour CREDIT months and fly 700-750 a year. Thats first off ALOT of flying on reserve and second, thats almost 2x the credit for the work (we have established the need for well over 1000 hours of CREDIT even if you want to count perdiem. I understand work rules and such but for it to come across as 2x the flying for the ENTIRE year is a bit much. I understand 150%, trip rig, duty rig, but 200% of everything you do ON RESERVE with 17 days off... umm.. other XJTers have already raised the BS flag. If you make $48K great! If you are on the charter side and a lineholder/ "air wh*re" who loves work and no social life thats all your decision.
Perdiem-
Travel Expenses and Per Diem Update
here is the short end:
The employer may exclude from the employees' taxable income all amounts that the IRS deems substantiated (i.e., amounts up to the applicable federal M&IE rate). Amounts excluded do not count as taxable wages on the pilot's Form W-2.
If you have an overnight is not-taxable up to the M&IE rate (which every regional is below- just look at perdiem for the mainline folks), day trips are income and taxed. If you want to pay taxes on all the money that hits your paycheck then GO AHEAD, but if you do some research before you type things you may find that just because it hits you checking account it is not "income" to the IRS. Example: Do you count your uniform allowance (company gives you money each month for drye cleaning,etc) as income?