Form 3903 - Moving Expenses for F1, J1, H1B Visa Taxes

[Administrator]

Form 3903 - Moving Expenses for Resident and Non Resident Aliens F1, J1, H1B on moving to a new Home or Job

If you move to your new home to join a new job or start a business, you can deduct the Moving Expenses as an adjustment to the income. It means that you will get this deduction even if you don’t itemize your expenses. To be deductible, you must meet the distance and time tests. Form 3903 must be filed along with Form 1040.

Moving expenses are figured on Form 3903 line 5 and deducted as an adjustment to income on line 26 of Form 1040 or line 26 or 1040NR. You cannot deduct any moving expenses that were reimbursed by your employer.Form 3903 is easy to complete. On line 1 you report your total expenses for transportation and storage of household goods. and personal effects. On line 2 you report your expenses for travel including lodging from your old home to your new home. On line 4, you enter the total amount your employer paid you for the expenses listed on lines 1 and 2 that is not included in box 1 of your Form W-2 (wages). This amount should be shown in box 12 of your Form W-2 with code P.

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[spartan]

I'm on H1B for a few years. So I'm considered resident alien for tax purposes.
I got married in July 07 and my wife has joined me from India.
Can I deduct the air-fare expense I paid for her as moving expense in 2007?

This is what I read in Pub 521:
Member of your household. You can deduct moving expenses you pay for yourself and members of your household. A member of your household is anyone who has both your former and new home as his or her home. It does not include a tenant or employee, unless that person is your dependent.

But i'm not sure about the interpretation...

[Visa Taxes Expert]

No, you can't deduct it.
You deduct moving expenses for starting a new job.

[spartan]

Thanks for the reply.
so technically, if one starts a new job and has dependents moving in the same calendar year, one can also deduct moving expenses for members of household. correct?
If I move and take up a job in one year and have members of household move in the next year....one cannot deduct their moving expenses?

[Visa Taxes Expert]

It is your own conclusion.

[waleyhahaha]

I was a student in Ohio since July 2005 and moved to Los Angeles to work in Jan. 2008.
Now I'm in H1 since Oct. 2008.

Can I file this Form 3903?

[Visa Tax Expert]

Originally Posted by waleyhahaha

I was a student in Ohio since July 2005 and moved to Los Angeles to work in Jan. 2008.
Now I'm in H1 since Oct. 2008.
Can I file this Form 3903?

Yes, if you paid or incurred the moving expenses in 2008, you can deduct in 2008 if you were not reimbursed by your employer. For the requirements, download the Form 3903 and read the instructions.

[crazee]

Hi,

I had recently moved for a new job (F-1 to F-1 OPT) from A to C. A round-trip car was rented from B (B=>A=>B) for 1 day to move my stuff from A. After few days, a round-trip car was again rented from B (B=>C=>B) for 3 days to move my stuff to C. B was on the way from A to C.
This was done because I had to stay at B for few days after I had to move out of my old apartment in A and before I could move into my new apartment in C. And round-trip cars were rented both times because a friend of mine living in B had to help me in moving and round-trip rental generally turns out to be cheaper.
There were no other possibly eligible expenses involved in my move.

Can I deduct these actual rental car expenses (+mileage+toll) involved in my moving? Or should I deduct the normal one-way rental car expense (+mileage+toll) for 3-4 days from A to C? Or will I have to just deduct mileage+toll from A to C, assuming I had my own car (which I didn't)? Or any other suggestions?

Thanks a lot!

[Atlanta Tax Guru]

You CAN deduct ALL of the rental car costs plus the mileage costs for the move, as long as you can show that making the multiple trips was a reasonable way to make the move.

[student]

Hello,

I was a student in Texas from Aug 2008 to May -2009 and then came to Wisconsin in Jun 2009 to join a new job. However from may-june i was in seattle since i didn't know where I was going to get the job so when I file form 3903 should I include expenses incurred in going from texas to seattle to wisconsin or only from wisconsin to seattle because my travel tickets and expenses paid for moving all the luggage really include both places so I am not sure of how to file these.