Unpilot

One more "close to the bullseye post"

Also full lights on as you take the runway at night without any regard for the plane on the other side waiting .

HighFlight

Please stop giving out this untrue "advice". That's a quick way to end up paying a lot of penalties when you get caught. Obtaining a degree is not a tax deduction, save for things like the Hope credit. That's akin to telling pilots they can claim their tips paid to van drivers as itemized deductions.

slowyourroll

https://www.ezperdiem.com/article/get_article_information/25-flight-crew-tax-deduction-examples.html

Item 15.

jethikoki

If I am wrong ok but I was told anything that is required to get the job is tax deductible. If you are working someplace like in Endeavor and DAL "requires" you to get a degree why would in not be considered a job related expense for a flow to DAL?

jethikoki

Straight from the IRS:
https://www.irs.gov/uac/tax-benefits...rmation-center

slowyourroll

Your link might not support your claim:

"Education Required by Employer or by Law

Education you need to meet the minimum educational requirements for your present trade or business is not qualifying work-related education. Once you have met the minimum educational requirements for your job, your employer or the law may require you to get more education. This additional education is qualifying work-related education if all three of the following requirements are met.

-It is required for you to keep your present salary, status or job.
-The requirement serves a business purpose of your employer.
-The education is not part of a program that will qualify you for a new trade or business.

When you get more education than your employer or the law requires, the additional education can be qualifying work-related education only if it maintains or improves skills required in your present work."

I would say you meet the 1st requirement ONLY if flow was the only option (i.e. Endeavor going away) otherwise you could keep your present job without the degree.

Tester130

Paying to get a degree to get a job is not a job expense. Taking classes to stay current if require by your employer is a job expense. You might even be able to claim the classes if you were working on a degree that will eventually allow you to move to a higher pay table within the same employer. Because when you flow or interview with the parent airline you are switching employers you can not claim their requirement as a job related expense at your current employer.

I am not a CPA or other tax professional, so go ahead and try to claim it, but if you get audited, I don't believe it would pass the sniff check.

FreightWasScary

But my dad always told me life's not fair...

Datsun

Uh huh...ever heard of government (sub/unsub) stafford loans?

The subsidized type means -they- pay the interest while in school or on authorized deferments, of which there are many.

Yeah, up to -no- payments while enrolled in school at least half-time (that's 6 credits, only 2 classes per semester) and when you get out, if you're experiencing what they call financial hardship (you know, family responsibilities, etc.), you can qualify for payments substantially less than $100 a month, in some cases near $0 per month, which if paid on time for 20 years the government will forgive, meaning cancel, the balance of your loan.

Means you just got a nearly free education.

On top of that, they even give everyone up to 60 months (5 years) of deferment, meaning no payments at all, for general purposes. Means you can not pay for up to 5 years and not even have to explain why. All you have to do is ask for the deferment and agree that you intend to pay eventually when prompted. So, contrary to popular belief, this country actually promotes higher education. They know educated citizens have a higher probability of becoming more successful and productive citizens so they help make it happen. So much so that they allow $150k per citizen before they won't give you anymore. Even though a quality education can be had for much less, they give you the option to learn whatever you want.

If you screw off that much money and still fail to get educated, it'd be no surprise if they decided to open an investigation.

The more you know...

Cut the "money" excuse. I have a family. Regardless, it can be done with or without a family, and it doesn't have to cost $3k per semester. It can be had for less. I have many friends and acquaintances with spouses, children, and in some cases parents needing support, that do and have done it, some of which make/made substantially less than we do here.

All I'm saying is call it what it is: a will issue, not a financial one.

Mesabah

Of course life is not fair, and companies can do what they want. It doesn't make it a good thing to force people into crippling debt, for no other reason, than HR is out of control.