This isn't hard. If you have one primary work location you (or the company) can not deduct transportation costs between home and there. If there is more than one work location in the same metropolitan area you can deduct expenses to the secondary location. At least that is the way I read it.

https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc514.html

 

No, IRS stuff, not that hard. Getting the company to let us use our bank in domicile appears to be. Seems like it's their sandbox, their rules. Since there's no benefit for them if they let us, they say "no". LAX guys seem to be getting a pass. I wonder whether that's intentional or simply a lack of California geographical savvy on the part of the auditors.

 

I'm not an expert - just trying to get smart on what I am allowed or not allowed to do. Thus the inquiries with the company and ALPA.

From a recent FCIF: The “Check the Commuter Box” Rule. CBA Sec. 8.C.5.c. requires a pilot to designate on his expense report any claim for deviation travel expense that is incurred while commuting to or from his base, in which case the amount of that expense is subject to income taxation. When the deviation travel is not between the pilot’s home and base (e.g. between his home and an airport at a location other than his base), the pilot is not required to “check the box.”

For Air Travel: The "base" is the domicile......which is the airport to which you are assigned. If your base is MEM and you traveled to or from that base then you'd be required to check the box. At least that's how I read it.

If I travel via ground transportation and I do not start or end at my base (the airport) then I am not required to check the box. At least thats how I read that section.

There appears to be an attempt to place a "city wide" designation on the base/domicile definition which is clearly incorrect as the the terms base and domicile are clearly defined.

 

LAX guys have 3 or 4 airports that they have to commute to, that is the difference. The lawyers and bean counters certainly make arbitrary decisions, but I'll bet many of them involve trying to make sure every expense is a legitimate business deduction. Are the CGN guys provided rides from the ramp to the train station or passenger terminal for scheduled deadheads? If so that is all they can expect.

 

Don't be surprised if The Company assigns an investigator to wait outside your house to witness and videotape this evolution.






.

 

Or rats him out to the IRS.

 

No kidding... To me that's a lot of risk to take to avoid the taxes on a $25 cab fare.

 

This is the first time in 16 years I've ever heard of anyone making this an issue greater than "Gee it's lousy that we can't deduct transportation costs within domicile".

While some might have a real problem with Contract Enforcement, (me too sometimes), just realize what they do should come with a disclaimer "These are trained professionals on a closed course....do not try this at home!".

I would refer yourself to ALPA and consult them on your "I'm across the street from my home....not "AT" my home argument. If they are not thrilled, then I would cease an desist and see what they advise as far as going from there. Remember, these are the guys who will most likely fight for your job...if they advise against it, and you persist....well.

While I am not the kind of guy to back down from injustice, pragmatism sometimes is paramount. With the amount of time you've already spent on this, you could have picked up a trip, put money in your B-fund and 401K in the process, and made enough to cover your in-domicile expenses for quite a while.

I think the conventional wisdom is to get a crashpad car.

 

I think the interpretation would be this...you are expecting to use company funds to travel to your place "Just outside your domicile with the intent of performing work at your domicile. So any or all of that leg is probably disallowed.

Early in my flying career, one of the best pieces of advice I got (from a friend named "Doug" who highlighted himself on more than one occasion with unique interpretations of the rules based on his superior intellect) was: "Try not to do anything 'Doug', Dangerous, or Different".

This sounds a bit "Doug", and is definitely, "Different", and sounds fraught with "Danger"

 

Thanks for the concern...but no one has done anything yet - beyond ask questions of the contract smart folks on this board, the company and ALPA legal. No ground transportation in or out of the domicile or domicile area has occurred by me.....but......It sounds like some are getting to use the benefit not restricted in the contract and others are denied. The tax issues are pretty cut and dry and separate from my inquires to date.

If the company wants to further clarify the definitions of a residence or the domicile that are already defined, then I'm listening. Since no one on here seems to be aware of any restrictions, I'll pass this along to ALPA legal and see if we can get some clarification on why we have a restriction not listed with the other restrictions in the contract.

As far as time....perhaps 2 hours of work to uncover an inconstancy in the contract and ask a couple of questions. Not a big deal and certainly not on par with taking a day to fly extra. YMMV