2015 Tax Deductions for Job Hunters

Taxes are something we normally do not think about until we have to pay them, but  some pre-planning can give you an edge on tax deductions. Changing careers or losing one’s job is often stressful but an important thing to keep in mind when job hunting is the federal government. It allows you to deduct your job hunting expensed.

It is important to qualify for these deductions and your expenses must be spent on a search for a job in your current field. Deduction rules change so it is vital for you to keep all the receipts related to your job-hunting search.

1. You can deduct employment and placement agency fees. 
2. You may deduct your membership fees for professional organizations 
3. Union dues and expenses are deductible 
4. Any Education expenses incurred while unemployed are now deductible 
5. You can deduct the amounts you spend preparing and mailing copies of your resume. This includes the costs related to have your resume redone by a professional. 
6. You may deduct the cost of business attire used during your job search 
7. You may be able to deduct travel expenses if the trip is primarily to look for a new job.  Keep track of your mileage to job interviews and if you are planning a trip try to schedule a job interview while you are there, your portion of the hotel and airfare maybe deductible. 

The IRS does have some limitations on how you can deduct your job search expenses. You cannot deduct expenses if there is a “substantial break” between the end of your last job and the time you begin to look for a new one. You also cannot take these deductions if you are looking for a job for the first time. For more IRS information on job search expenses, see IRS Publication 529, called Miscellaneous Deductions.

College Graduate Resume Format

People just graduating from college often have little experience in their chosen profession as a result their resume should be formatted in a way that highlights their special qualities. For college juniors, I highly suggest you find an internship program in your specific field.  The work experience in your field will greatly benefit you after graduation and if you network properly while interning you may find yourself placed in your career before you even graduate.

This quick look at how your resume should be formatted.  Make sure to include any certifications and academic honors that pertain to your degree under Education.   Never provide references without it being requested by a perspective employer and always inform  (and thank!) your references that you have used them. Do not forget to embed key words and phrases related to your career within the text of your resume.  This will increase your chances of getting pulled during a human resource resume database search

Please support our sponsor: Survey's Paid - Work on survey's for money

EDUCATION Elm University, Chapel Hill, NC    2013 M.A. in English Thesis: “The Accessibility Debate of Content in the Online Context” Oak Tree University, Raleigh, NC           2011 B.A. Honors in English Areas of Concentration: Journalism, Proposal Writing Minor: French Honors Thesis: “The Female Betrayed and Modern Media” AWARDS President’s Fellowship, Oak Tree University Excellence Grant, Oak Tree University TEACHING EXPERIENCE Teaching Assistant – to Professor Garth Fort in “Advanced Rhetoric” Collaborated on curriculum and exam development, met with students upon request, and graded all written work, including final exam papers. RELATED EXPERIENCE Lucerne Publishing, Raleigh, NC Editor Provide as needed editorial support remotely, including developmental and copy editing of their internal online and printed documentation. Trey Research, Raleigh, NC User Interface Design Consultant Provided content design feedback to program managers to create accessible segue between English and French versions of related content. PUBLICATIONS AND PAPERS “The Cross-Cultural Communication Epidemic of the 21st Century” Guest speaker at the Global Communication Convention, Los Angeles, CA LANGUAGES English – native language French – speak fluently and read/write with high proficiency Spanish and Italian – speak, read, and write with basic competence MEMBERSHIPS American Society of English Honorees Western Society of Women Writers REFERENCES References available upon request