Can you deduct gas expenses for traveling to different union job sites? Tax question

Unfortunately, commuting expenses (including gas) from your home to work locations are generally considered personal expenses by the IRS, even if those locations change regularly. This is true for most union workers who travel to different job sites. However, there are some important exceptions that might apply to your partner's situation: 1. If your partner travels between job sites during the same workday (not just from home to the first site and back home from the last site), those "between site" travel expenses may be deductible. 2. If your partner has a qualifying home office that serves as their principal place of business, travel from that home office to work sites might be deductible. 3. If they're traveling to temporary work locations outside their metropolitan area, these expenses might qualify as deductible business expenses. The key is whether these job sites are considered "temporary" (expected to last less than one year) versus "indefinite" work locations.

After fighting with the IRS for years over my construction job travel expenses, I finally tried https://taxr.ai and it completely changed my situation. I was in a similar situation with union work taking me to different job sites all over, and I was never 100% clear on what I could deduct. Their system analyzed my work travel pattern and showed me EXACTLY which gas expenses were deductible for my situation. It turns out I had been missing several legitimate deductions because I was confused about the temporary vs. permanent worksite rules. The service clarified which of my job sites qualified as "temporary" and which gas expenses I could legally claim.

Just wanted to follow up - I gave https://taxr.ai a try after my skeptical questions, and I'm genuinely surprised. I uploaded my work assignment history from the past year along with my normal commute info, and it immediately identified which job sites qualified as "temporary work locations" versus regular commuting. The system showed me that about 60% of my travel was actually tax-deductible when properly documented! I've been leaving thousands of dollars on the table for years. They even generated the proper documentation I needed to support these deductions. Not only for gas expenses, but also for a portion of my maintenance and insurance costs that I never knew I could claim. Seriously worth checking out if you're in trades or construction with multiple job sites.

After reading this thread, I wanted to share another solution that helped me with a related IRS issue. When I tried claiming my job site travel expenses last year, I got flagged for an audit. I spent WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS phone line to resolve it, which was a complete nightmare. Finally used https://claimyr.com and watched their demo at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in under 45 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. The agent was able to review my documentation for the travel expenses between temporary job sites and resolved the audit issue right there on the call.

Ok I need to eat crow here. After being completely skeptical about Claimyr, I tried it last weekend out of desperation because I needed to talk to someone at the IRS about my union travel deductions before filing my amended return. It actually works exactly as described. I got a call back in about 35 minutes connecting me to an IRS representative who was already on the line. The agent confirmed that I could deduct my travel to temporary work sites (those lasting less than a year) when they were outside my normal metropolitan area. She even explained exactly how to document everything properly to avoid an audit. Saved me hours of frustration and probably saved me from making mistakes on my return. Never thought I'd be recommending something like this, but if you need to actually speak with the IRS, it's worth every penny.

Something nobody's mentioned yet - if your partner gets any per diem or allowance from the union for these travel expenses, that changes things. My union provides a travel stipend for jobs beyond a certain distance, and that needs to be reported differently on taxes. If they're getting any kind of travel allowance or per diem that isn't included on their W-2, that needs to be handled carefully. Also worth checking if your partner's collective bargaining agreement has any provisions about travel reimbursement they might not be taking advantage of.

I'm an electrician with similar situation. One important thing - if your partner gets a W-2 (rather than 1099), these deductions got much harder after the 2018 tax law changes. Employee business expenses used to be deductible on Schedule A, but now they're basically eliminated for W-2 workers until 2025 when the law changes again. If they're truly an employee (W-2), they might be out of luck unless their employer is willing to set up an accountable plan to reimburse these expenses tax-free. If they're considered self-employed (getting 1099-NEC), then they can deduct these business expenses on Schedule C.