Tax Question

[olds]

My employer provides me a laptop. It is a hunk of junk and has so much crap running in the background that at times, it's unable to do things at once.

If I buy a laptop to use for work, can I write it off? Or does the employer providing me a laptop preclude that?

 

[kranky]

I'm not aware of any rule that keeps you from writing it off even if the business would have given you one.

I would steer clear of using the laptop for anything but work-related activities, though.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

If you have a home office, maybe.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Can you talk to your employer about it? Shouldn't they have an attorney/HR personnel who can answer specific questions like that?

 

[kranky]

These days employers don't give any advice about anything of a personal nature. Too much liability.

 

[Schfifty Five]

You should try asking your employer if they will let you buy a laptop and them reimburse you for it. Of course in this case, the laptop would be the property of the employer.

 

[olds]

Can you talk to your employer about it? Shouldn't they have an attorney/HR personnel who can answer specific questions like that?

You should try asking your employer if they will let you buy a laptop and them reimburse you for it. Of course in this case, the laptop would be the property of the employer.

I work for the State. They'd be of no help or definitely decline to buy it.
I'll get a better machine next go around (2 years) as I'll be able to have input on the specs.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Example:
$1500 laptop that gets depreciated over a 3 year period is $500/yr.
Now adjust that value by the percentage that it will be used entirely for work.

If you leave it at the office, you can write off $500 each year.
If you take it home; you will need to track the percentage of the time you may end up using it for non work activities. Any personal related S/W (that the employer would not install) counts against the usage.
Also, will the IT department want a foreign computer on their network?


Safer to either make it personal or wait until the state steals some money

 

[CPA]

You can itemize work-related purchases not reimbursed by your employer, but only the amount above 2% of your AGI. So, my guess, is no, you won't be able "write if off" from your taxes.

 

[ioni]

I seriously doubt your employer will be down with you storing unprotected trade secrets on your personal laptop. Of course, in this context, unprotected means that their protection SW isn't running on your laptop. And if it was, wouldn't you be back to square one?

 

[olds]

I won't be able to get on our network with it. I'll still have the work laptop for that.

 

[EagleKeeper]

You can itemize work-related purchases not reimbursed by your employer, but only the amount above 2% of your AGI. So, my guess, is no, you won't be able "write if off" from your taxes.

As CPA also stated (I was making the wrong assumption that you had 2% squirrel away)

At a salary $50K per year; the first $1000 of employee business expenses is a throw away.
At a salary $100K (combined with wife); the first $2000 of employee business expenses becomes a throw away.

If you can not get onto the network and IT will not support it; eat the $1500 - personal use will cut into the saving more and more.
An audit by Uncle will state that the employer has provided one for you; ask them for a better one if what was provided can not do the job.

If you have the 2% already accounted for on the Schedule A,the unit is pure work only, then you can lower your taxes by your tax rate * $500

 

[sactoking]

I have a tax question to piggyback on this one:

Generally an entertainment expense is deductible only if valid. A charitable contribution is deductible to the extent that the contribution exceeds the value of a benefit received. What happens to the deductibility of a charitable contribution when the benefit received is an entertainment item which does not meet normal entertainment deductibility standards?

Example: My business wants to take 3 people golfing as an entertainment expense. The cost of the guests is deductible so long as business is discussed during the outing but my costs are not deductible. My business participates in a silent auction for Boys & Girls Club. The purchase price paid in the silent auction is deductible to the extent that it exceeds the value of the item or service bought. What if my business buys a round of golf for four at the silent auction and it's used by four employees?

Normally a four employee outing is not deductible but since I bought it through a charity does that change? In other words, does the use of the benefit have to meet the use requirements in addition to the charitable requirements, or is it automatically a deduction so long as it meets the charitable requirements?

 

[dquan97]

this thread feel like a reunion for sacramento ppl

 

[StarTech]

... has so much crap running in the background that at times, it's unable to do things at once...

I bet you your employer mandates that crap. I can see that you could afford a much better machine, but it will need the standard employer load. No doubt the load will run much faster.

Talk to your IT department and your manager.

 

[RossMAN]

If oldsmoboat retrofits his basement, can he write that off?

 

[esun]

See if they'll let you install Linux. No issues with them installing bloatware on Linux so it should be much faster. At my previous job I had a Windows XP PC with tons of bloatware (and the OS was 32-bit, too, even though the processor supported 64-bit). I ended up dual-booting Linux and used that 99% of the time. The speed difference was remarkable.

I actually timed my startup time in Windows and it was something like 9 minutes, compared to less than a minute for Linux.