It’s been months since you’ve filed your taxes, the return may be long and gone into retirement investments, toward the mortgage or even a shiny new car and all of a sudden you received a piece of paper that strikes fear into your heart – audit.
According to Healthcare Traveler, International Revenue Service (IRS) tax audits of traveling professionals and agencies are on the rise. Most travel nurse and travel therapist audits revolve around "unreimbursed employee expenses."
Immediately, you may be forced to scramble for documentation that may simply not exist. While an agency may pay and file a travel RN or travel therapist on W-2, there are often numerous expenses and deductions that are not covered under typical paperwork.
Before a traveler heads to her next contract, she may wish to consult with a tax professional to determine what type of items she can deduct from her taxes and the proper documentation she will need as proof. She may wish to check with the agency to find out what items her company may reimburse and the procedure – the list of reimbursable items will vary between travel nursing agencies.
Armored with documentation and organization, a travel nurse or travel therapist may be able to prove the validity of tax claims and continue helping patients around the country.