Should I be upset wtih my LDS?

[tracy_from_oz]

You may be able to write some of the expenses off on your taxes... I am no tax attorney but I know that some job-related expenses can be. Make sure you save all your receipts and make a couple of inquiries at tax season. Who knows, if you usually have to pay in on taxes you may be able to recoup some of these expenses.

Sounds like this LDS has some pretty shady practices... and have a pretty crappy way of thanking their helpers.

Im not a tax agent or accountant but im pretty sure you must first be employed in some way in the line of work deriving an income from it not doing it for free, and then i think your income must be larger than your tax deductions or something along the lines of that but dont quote me on that. You also need your pay slips etc to verify and all reciepts of cost incurred that you want to deduct.

If your not being paid for being a dm, then you can not deduct anything as you dont have an income off it. Their just out of pocket expenses for diving which is also what your insurance with padi or naui etc will be as well.

 

[boulderjohn]

Im not a tax agent or accountant but im pretty sure you must first be employed in some way in the line of work deriving an income from it not doing it for free, and then i think your income must be larger than your tax deductions or something along the lines of that but dont quote me on that.

You are allowed to incur losses in some years, but you have to make a profit eventually. The IRS wants an indication that you are trying to get income from your work and not just trying to defray the expenses of a hobby.

 

[RonFrank]

If your not being paid for being a dm, then you can not deduct anything as you dont have an income off it. Their just out of pocket expenses for diving which is also what your insurance with padi or naui etc will be as well.

If you have an income, you can deduct expenses as long as they are considered business expenses even if unrated to the primary source of income.

If you are a Monkey Juggler, and you make 30K a year juggling monkeys, and pay 15K in taxes because the government taxes monkey jugglers to death, you can deduct you expenses as a DM from the taxes paid as you are in a professional capacity as a DM. Even if you are not making anything, you are paying taxes and expenses as a DM professional are deductable against taxes you have paid or will pay.

The IRS has some confusing laws, and basically if you do not make a profit something like one year out of four with the DM business, they can declare that your business is just a Hobby, and disallow DM expenses as a deduction as they have stated you are NOT a professional/business.

Of course there are ways around that, but what I am suggesting is that yes, you can deduct your DM expenses, but not forever if you are not making anything as a DM. At some point your business must declare a profit if it's a part time operation with little or no income.

 

[PhotoTJ]

What a crock. Find another LDS. Not to toot my own horn, but we never charge DM's/Instructors pool time, they can pro deal any line we carry, and usually get a couple or three free boat trips per year. Non -working boat trips, that is, of course all working boat trips are free, and they usually get tipped rather well.

I doubt he'll last long.

 

[Toadie]

I haven't seen any trips and to be honest I don't think the travel or gear deals I get are that good either. I even bought my dive computer through scuba toys because he wanted 100 bucks more than they did.

 

[sharkattack]

I'd bail on that place. Our LDS is very good. Although we split costs on a lot of stuff like gas and lodging we get good deals on stuff and lots of free crap.

 

[Bobbin-along]

I'm working with our lds teen camps this summer in a strictly volunteer capacity. Since I'm not a DM or AI my compensation comes from free air (for my own tank/private use), free lds tank use for the classes (HP 100's are overkill), no pool community pool fees, no parking fees (at the community pool), free parking in the staff parking lot, and lunches are included. Heck they even buy gas if they are in the same car as me. They gave me and hubby AOW as a 1 on 1 class for $50(total), and Nitrox for $25 as a recompense for my volunteer time. Rescue is $25. Staff discounts on gear of course. And I have yet to be charged for any of the fun dives or boat dives on my personal fun time.

I don't think you're feeling the love..... Maybe it's time to re-negotiate.

 

[Sky Shark]

To heck with that shop! I get more privelages than that with the shop I do stuff for and I'm not even officially an DM/Inst. yet!

Same here, plus when I've bought a major item in the past, I've received the , "but for you, it'll be ......." my LDS is always appreciative when I bring someone in for a class or to have some servicing done...I don't know what its like to pay for air/ nitrox...then again over the past year I've replaced all of my gear from booties to hooded vest...

 

[Toadie]

oddly enough he wanted to charge me 99 for the NOX course:shakehead