Icon for the Per Diem Calculator Calculations
EZPerDiem.com Crib Notes
A shortened version of the Step-by-Step Guide
1. What is EZPerDiem.com used for?
For an expanded (more detailed version of the crib notes, use the EZPerDiem.com Step-by-Step Guide)
The two main components of the EZPerDiem.com website are:
The Per Diem Calculator
The Expense Processor
Together, the data you input into The Per Diem Calculator and The Expense Processor essentially generates everything you need to complete the aviation portion of your flight crewmember tax return. If you fly for the airlines, a corporate employer, or a fractional company as either a pilot or a flight attendant, you can likely benefit from EZPerDiem.com if you itemize.
The data from the Per Diem Calculator and the Expense Processor gets placed on IRS Form 2106. IRS Form 2106 is a special tax form that allows employees (including pilots and flight attendants) to write off expenses associated with their jobs. These expenses are referred to by the IRS as Employee Business Expenses. When you click the printer-friendly versions of The Per Diem Calculator or The Expense Processor, you will be shown where on IRS Form 2106 the calculated Employee Business Expenses go. If you are using either TurboTax or TaxCut, we also offer a TurboTax Guide and a TaxCut Guide to help you insert the EZPerDiem.com results properly into those two popular tax software packages.
2. Using the EZPerDiem.com Per Diem Calculator
For an expanded (more detailed version of the crib notes, use the EZPerDiem.com Step-by-Step Guide)
Per Diem Calculator Step 1
UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE EZPERDIEM PER DIEM CALCULATOR DOES
In a nutshell simply understand the following:
The per diem deduction is an alternative to writing off your meals and incidental expenses while on work-related-travel.
It only works for trips that involve overnights (i.e. no day trips).
It only helps people who itemize.
The term M&IE Calculation is used interchangeably with per diem calculation. For all intents and purposes, the are the same thing.
There are two types of M&IE Calculations. The city-by-city and the special rate for transportation workers. EZPerDiem.com calculates both of them simultaneously and gives you the highest.
EZPerDiem.com does all of the calculations online. Nothing is required to be mailed.
EZPerDiem.com works for people using TurboTax, TaxCut, or their own tax preparer.
The M&IE Calculation gets put on IRS Form 2106 with your other aviation-related business expenses.
The Expense Processor component of EZPerDiem.com helps you calculate those other aviation-related business expenses.
Per Diem Calculator Step 2
SETTING UP DOMICILES
After you log in, you will be directed to a page that will ask you to choose which tax year you wish to work on. Remember this is the tax year, not necessary the current year, so for taxes due April 15, 2009, you would choose 2008 as the tax year. You will then be redirected to set up your domiciles for that tax year. This is an important step because your domicile(s) are likely your tax home.
Follow the on-page instructions. Once there are no more base changes left, click FINISHED at the bottom. At any time, you can click START OVER if you make a mistake. You can also change these in your Settings Page later if you need to.
NOTE: If you had a temporary assignment during 2008, you can simply alter your domicile choices to reflect your tax home based on the temporary assignment that you had. Just make sure you follow the IRS guidelines regarding a temporary assignment in IRS Publication 463.
Per Diem Calculator Step 3
SUBMITTING COMPANY INFORMATION
After you have finished entering your domicile information you will be directed to a company information page. Check any companies that you worked for in 2008. If your company is not listed, enter the company name in the space allotted for “Companies NOT listed above only” Click SUBMIT COMPANY INFO when you are finished.
Per Diem Calculator Step 4
ENTERING LAYOVERS INTO THE PER DIEM CALCULATOR
You should now be on the Airport Code Entry Page. This page should show the dates of tax year 2008 with a text field that holds a three-letter airport code. Initially, the dates should show your domiciles next to them. All you have to do is enter your layovers next to the applicable dates. NOTE: If you worked for Continental Airlines or ExpressJet, there is a Copy and Paste feature that allows you to quickly dump your CCS Final Pay Registers in one quick step. All other companies must currently enter their layovers manually. Copy and Paste Data Entry can be completed in less than 5 minutes for the entire year.
NOTE: Notice that the first date is actually the last date of the previous tax year (i.e. New Year's Eve, 2007). The first layover you should enter in 2008 is actually your overnight on New Year’s Eve, 2007. That is normal because the New Year’s Eve overnight information is used for the 2008 per diem calculation.
Enter your layovers for 2008. Again, only layovers get entered.
Per Diem Calculator Step 5
VIEWING M&IE CALCULATIONS
When you are finished entering your layovers for 2008, you can click the View Calculations button. Once you pay the low 2008 fee, your calculations will be visible instantly online. Navigate to the Per Diem Calculator Calculations Page by clicking the Calculations Page icon:
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Icon for the Per Diem Calculator Calculations |
When you are finished with your entries on the Airport Code Entry Page and ready to print your results, click the printer-friendly icon on the Calculations Page:
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Printer Friendly Icon |
3. Using the EZPerDiem.com Expense Processor
For an expanded (more detailed version of the crib notes, use the EZPerDiem.com Step-by-Step Guide)
Expense Processor Step 1
GETTING TO THE EXPENSE PROCESSOR
The Expense Processor is arrived at by clicking the button that looks like:
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Expense Processor Button |
Expense Processor Step 2
UNDERSTANDING THE EXPENSE PROCESSOR
Once inside the Expense Processor you should see a screen that looks like:
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Initial Appearance of Expense Processor |
The Expense Processor is designed to help you quickly find, calculate, and organize the tax deductions that flight crews may be entitled to.
NOTE: Just because an expense is shown in the Expense Processor does not automatically mean it is deductible. To learn more about how to determine whether an expense is deductible, click here.
Simply open a category and enter the applicable expenses. Repeat this for the remaining categories in the Expense Processor. Once complete, click the icon for the printer-friendly version.
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Click the Printer-Friendly Version |
Expense Processor Step 3
PRINTING THE EXPENSE PROCESSOR RESULTS
The Printer-Friendly version contains information that shows you where the data goes on your IRS Form 2106.
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Printer-friendly version of the Expense Processor shows where IRS Form 2106 data goes |
4. Making use of your EZPerDiem.com Results
For an expanded (more detailed version of the crib notes, use the EZPerDiem.com Step-by-Step Guide)
At this point, you should have entered your layovers into the Per Diem Calculator (i.e. the Airport Code Entry Page) and entered your aviation flight-related expenses into the Expense Processor. The results of what you entered can be given either to a tax preparer that you like to use or entered into a tax software package such as TurboTax or TaxCut.
Using your own tax preparer
Many people have a tax preparer, CPA, or enrolled agent that they like to use. EZPerDiem.com is the perfect tool to use in conjunction with your own tax preparer because it makes their job so much easier and gets you back more money by performing the calculations that they are unlikely to do. Most tax preparers are not going to go through the trouble of looking up all of the CONUS and OCONUS per diem rates that EZPerDiem.com uses to give you the highest M&IE expense calculation that you are allowed to get.
If you use your own tax preparer, simply print out the Per Diem Calculator results and the Expense Processor results using the printer-friendly versions available. Your tax preparer should be able to easily use the data on them to prepare the aviation component of your taxes.
Using TurboTax or TaxCut
If you use either of these software packages, simply use the TurboTax Software Guide or TaxCut Software Guide to instruct you were to put your data.
5. Using the Settings Page and Optional Features
For an expanded (more detailed version of the crib notes, use the EZPerDiem.com Step-by-Step Guide)
Understanding the Settings Page
EZPerDiem.com is designed to be as easy to use as possible, while still providing the power and flexibility of giving its users the features that are most needed. The Settings Page is where you might go to accomplish:
Resetting your domiciles in the event of a mistake
Deleting your layovers in the event of a mistake
Changing the prorate rate on the first and last day of a trip
Submitting a ticket to the EZPerDiem.com staff
Entering or changing your personal information
Using the promo tools available to earn promo credit
To get to the Settings Page, click the button that looks like:
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Settings Page Button |
All about Copy and Paste
Copy and Paste is a feature that works for certain airlines and employee groups. It is a fast way to enter layovers into the Airport Code Entry Page (i.e. The Per Diem Calculator). The developers of EZPerDiem.com want to make data entry as fast as possible, therefore, we are hoping to build Copy and Paste programs for as many airlines as we can. Currently the following airline/employee groups can use Copy and Paste to enter their layovers:
Continental Airlines Pilots
Continental Airlines Flight Attendants
ExpressJet Airlines Pilots
ExpressJet Airlines Flight Attendants
If you work for another airline/employee group and wish to help us build Copy and Paste for you, click here.
To get to the Copy and Paste pages, click the button that looks like:
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Settings Page Button |
For an expanded (more detailed version of the crib notes, use the EZPerDiem.com Step-by-Step Guide)
