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We Are The Merchant Marine Specialists
Complete Federal/State Itemized Tax Returns for Merchant Mariners starting at $449!
As a Merchant Mariner your industry offers you many unique opportunities. First and foremost by being issued Certificates of Discharges or Letters of Service Time; you qualify as a "temporary employee". This allows you to deduct travel expenses, including expenses to meet the ship; expenses incurred while in various ports, telephone expenses, and INCIDENTAL expenses. We need to foreworn you, you are not allowed to deduct MEAL expenses while on board the vessel. We caution you on this because there are numerous tax preparers out there that state they are 'transportation industry specialists' who continue to write-off the full M&IE rate (meals and incidental) for each day you are onboard. This is not valid, and could result in fraud penalties and an IRS nightmare for you the taxpayer who ultimately signs the return acknowledging that you reviewed for any omissions or MISSTATEMENTS. As we've said in the past, and will continue to state, we love getting new clients, we just don't enjoy getting them as a result of an IRS inquisition or audit.
Our Merchant Marine specialists are ready to prepare your tax returns
and maximize your itemized deductions to the full
extent allowed by law and fully substantiated by IRS Publ., Rev. Procs.,
Department of State (DOS), the General Services Administration (GSA),
and the DOD Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee (Per
Diem Committee)
Per Diem rates, and tax court cases. In order to facilitate the processing
of your tax return, we must receive the following documents from you
in a timely manner:
1)
Copy of prior years Federal/State Income Tax Return.
(Note: Not required if TWTS was the preparer last year.)
2)
U.S. Coast Guard Certificates of Discharge(or equivalent) for all time
served aboard each vessel during the year.
3)
Ports of Call Statement showing where the vessel was located during each
day that you were onboard during the year..
(Note: Contact us first to see if we already have the vessel in our extensive
database.)
4) Completed worksheets covering your Merchant Seaman
Job Expenses and Merchant Seaman Education/Job Search Expenses. Be sure
to fill in all pertinent information on your organizer that we will not
be able to ascertain from your W-2's, 1099's, 1098's, etc.
The 4 items listed
above should be mailed to TWTS as soon as reasonably
possible. This will give us the opportunity to get a head start on your
income tax return prior to the "peak period" that lasts from
February 1 thru April 15.
As soon as you receive
your W-2 forms from your employers, mail them along with any other supporting
documents such as: mortgage interest paid, savings interest received,
brokerage trade settlement receipts and all other related receipts and
documents that will be included with your return.
One of our priorities
at TWTS is filing your tax return as expeditiously as
possible. The earlier we receive the necessary documentation, the sooner
we can file your return and expedite your tax refund.
Please enclose a check for $449. payable to Transport Workers
Tax Service, LLC. (we will be happy to hold your check
until you advise us that you received your refund, should you choose this
option, please make out the check for $499).
Please note: if you are missing items from your package, our starting fee will be $449, and may delay the processing of your return!
Additionally,
we can appreciate looking for opportunities to save money; but oh too
frequently we see cost saving measures taken in inappropriate ways. For
example you don't want to pay $449 to have your return processed by a
firm that specializes in your industry, and feel you'll just process it
on your own. Hmm; we wonder how expensive the
$449 will seem after you pay over $1000 in additional taxes by not taking
advantage of the lucrative tax write offs available to you as a merchant
mariner? A quart of oil is only $2; how many of you are going
to take a whole afternoon changing the oil in your car? Cleaning that
mess is easier then the mess you'll deal with interacting with the IRS
explaining any invalid deductions.
Click HERE to download the 2007 Tax Organizer.
We take great pride in the fact that we only take legitimate deductions on behalf of our clients and have never put our clients at audit risk as a result of taking 100% meal deductions or other frivolous deductions.
Use caution when selecting a tax preparer. If you choose one that is not familiar with your unique industry, you could over pay your taxes by thousands of dollars. If you choose one who is overly aggressive, you could put yourself at audit risk.
Recognize it is you the taxpayer, who is ultimately responsible for the tax deficiencies as a result of invalid deductions.
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