While record keeping might seem like a tedious and overwhelming task, there are several things you can do to simplify the process and make it more efficient. 

<div>
  Travel nursing offers many financial perks. Free housing or a housing stipend,
  a travel allowance, license and certification reimbursements, and much more
  can be part of your pay package. To take advantage of these benefits, you must
  be well-organized when it comes to documenting expenses and keeping records.
  This task might seem tedious and overwhelming, but there are several things
  you can do to simplify the process.
</div>



<div>
  <strong
    >To help you know which receipts to keep, know the nuances of your contract
    for every assignment.
  </strong>
</div>

<div>
  This will make it easier to categorize your expenses at tax time. Understand
  what counts as taxable vs. non-taxable income and which of your expenses can
  be taken as travel-related tax deductions.
</div>



<div>
  <strong
    >Hold onto any paperwork that supports your tax returns for up to seven
    years.</strong
  >
</div>

<div>
  Keep final credit card statements along with your W-2s, W-4s, and 1099s. Also
  hang onto cancelled checks and receipts for all deductible business expenses,
  retirement account contributions, out-of-pocket medical expenses, license and
  certification fees, and mortgage-interest and property-tax payments for your
  tax home (the place you own and claim as your home base). The Internal Revenue
  Service has up to three years from the date you file your tax return to
  examine it for errors and as long as six years to conduct an audit if
  there&#39;s reason to suspect you underreported your gross income by 25
  percent or more.
</div>



<div><strong>Create an easily accessible filing system.</strong></div>



<ul>
  <li>
    Pick a designated place for incoming bills&mdash;a manila envelope, a drawer
    or a shoe box&mdash;and toss them there as they arrive in the mail so that
    when it&rsquo;s time to reconcile your credit card statement, validate a
    bill and write checks everything is in one spot. The same goes for receipts
    you might need.
  </li>
  <li>
    Once you are done paying your bills, file receipts in an expandable
    accordion folder or hanging file in a desk drawer. Tag each folder or file
    by assignment and use labeled zip lock bags to organize receipts by category
    (e.g., credit card statements, utility bills) or by tax category (deductible
    business expenses, charitable contributions) or by personal goal
    (retirement, continuing education). When you&#39;re ready to fill out your
    tax return, finding receipts will be a breeze. This approach might take more
    time up front, but will save time in the long run. Plus, looking at your
    receipts as you file them helps actualize all of your expenses so you can
    keep tabs on your overall spending behavior, which is important if you want
    to maximize your savings and/or have money for leisure travel on a tight
    budget.
  </li>
</ul>

<div><strong>Keep a travel log&mdash;and always have it with you.</strong></div>

<ul>
  <li>
    While each state has its own tax rules and regulations, across the board,
    nurses who receive a non-taxable travel stipend are required to show
    receipts in order to substantiate their traveling expenses to and from an
    assignment. These expenses can include car rentals, gas mileage, transit
    fares, air travel and meals, as well as hotel stays.
  </li>
  <li>
    Travel stipends often don&rsquo;t cover all of your job-related traveling
    expenses, so keeping an accurate travel record (and saving your receipts)
    gives you the option of deducting the extra expenses on your tax return. On
    the flip side, if you don&rsquo;t keep a travel log, you must declare the
    tax-free stipend as income and pay taxes on it at tax time. No matter how
    you look at it, documenting your expenses with receipts maximizes your
    traveling perks and ensures you will get what you are entitled to.
  </li>
  <li>
    While there is no exact way to set up your travel log, the IRS requires that
    a mileage log include a date, a starting location, an ending location, an
    explanation for the travel and the number of miles driven roundtrip per day.
    It also requires that you record your starting and ending odometer reading
    for the entire calendar year. The only time you need to present gas receipts
    with your mileage log is if you are renting a car. That&rsquo;s because
    after you turn the car in, you need to calculate the cost of personal gas
    vs. business gas.
  </li>
</ul>

<div>
  <strong
    >Although travel packages vary by agency and assignment, here are some of
    the common items you can deduct.
  </strong>
</div>



<div>
  For further information, consult with a travel nurse tax advisor (or visit
  TravelTax.com).
</div>

<ul>
  <li>Licenses</li>
  <li>Continuing Education (including travel expenses)</li>
  <li>Uniforms and upkeep, such as dry cleaning or tailoring</li>
  <li>Cell phone, internet, fax services and postage</li>
  <li>Association or union dues</li>
  <li>Journal subscriptions, online or print</li>
  <li>Cell phone or pager (at least one bill indicating monthly costs)</li>
  <li>Laundry (if no receipts, keep a log book of weekly costs)</li>
  <li>Hotel stays, plane fares, tolls, parking, taxi</li>
  <li>
    Car maintenance and repairs if you are using your own vehicle&bull;Gas
    receipts (only if renting a vehicle)
  </li>
  <li>Transit fares (if no receipts, keep a log book of weekly costs)</li>
  <li>Legal fees (job related)</li>
</ul>

<h2>Looking for an Exciting New Career Opportunity?</h2>

<div>
  <a href="/sites/ccn/contact-us" target="_blank"
    >Contact the travel nursing experts</a
  >
  at Cross Country Nurses or get started today!
</div>


Holding Onto Receipts and Other Smart Record Keeping Tips for Travel Nurses