Taxpayer asks:
Hi Taxgirl,
I have a question,
If I have to miss two or three hours per week on average to attend to college matters (speaking with admin. who are only there during times I am working, lab times getting adjusted beyond my control, etc.) can I claim those missed wages on my income tax?
thanks!
Taxgirl says:
Sadly, no. Missed wages are not deductible (or reportable as a loss) on your tax return even if you were forced to miss days for work or medical reasons. And – believe it or not – the same result applies if you worked and were not properly paid for your time: you can’t deduct those unpaid wages either. The Tax Code likes to match income with deductions. If you’ve never taken those wages into income, there’s no accompanying deduction (or loss) available no matter how unfair it might seem.
If, however, you had out of pocket expenses related to the missed days which would be attributable to work or medical reasons – say, mileage for a doctor’s appointment – then you might be able to claim those (assuming you itemize and otherwise meet the criteria).
Before you go: be sure to read my disclaimer. Remember, I’m a lawyer and we love disclaimers.
If you have a question, here’s how to Ask The Taxgirl.
