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February 17, 2024
Question

Armed Forces Reservist Business Gift Expense (Form 2106)

  • February 17, 2024
  • 1 reply
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As an armed forces reservest are you able to deduct uniform expenses, boots, dress unifrom expenses like medals, and educational expenses on the form 2106?  Or are you only able to deduct travel expenses for traveling over 100 miles (food per diem, and mileage, etc)

1 reply

DMarkM1
February 18, 2024

No. Pages 3-4 in the instructions for form 2106 state the Armed Forces Reserves can only deduct travel expenses related to travel over 100 miles for Reservist Duty.  Here is an extract.

 

"If you are one of the individuals discussed below, special rules apply to deducting your employee business expenses. Armed Forces reservist (member of a reserve component). You are a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States if you are in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Coast Guard Reserve; the Army National Guard of the United States; the Air National Guard of the United States; or the Reserve Corps of the Public Health Service. 

 

If you qualify, complete Form 2106 and include the part of the line 10 amount attributable to the expenses for travel more than 100 miles away from home in connection with your performance of services as a member of the reserves on Schedule 1 (Form 1040), line 12, and attach Form 2106 to your return. 

 

The amount of expenses you can deduct on Schedule 1 (Form 1040), line 12, is limited to the regular federal per diem rate (for lodging, meals, and incidental expenses) and the standard mileage rate (for car expenses), plus any parking fees, ferry fees, and tolls. These reserve-related travel expenses are deductible whether or not you itemize deductions. See Pub. 463 for additional details on how to report these [travel] expenses."

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February 21, 2024

I thought uniforms for reservists count too?  

February 21, 2024

No.  Your uniform allowance is excludible from gross income, but uniforms expense is no longer deductible on your Federal return. Some states still allow work-related expenses as an itemized deduction.

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