If you have a cell phone given to you by your office....

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aeroparrot
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If you have a cell phone given to you by your office....

Post by aeroparrot »

If you want an experience, go to a Jimmy Buffett concert.

Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

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Re: If you have a cell phone given to you by your office....

Post by ScarletB »

i have a work Blackberry but I kept my personal cell. I hardly use the thing except to check emails when I'm not in my office. Don't use my cell phone much either except on concert weekends! :D
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Re: If you have a cell phone given to you by your office....

Post by aeroparrot »

ScarletB wrote:i have a work Blackberry but I kept my personal cell. I hardly use the thing except to check emails when I'm not in my office. Don't use my cell phone much either except on concert weekends! :D

I'm not sure how they will work for you and if you are still required to pay the taxes on the 25% of the calls even if you don't use it very much. Knowing the government, probably yes.
If you want an experience, go to a Jimmy Buffett concert.

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Re: If you have a cell phone given to you by your office....

Post by Skibo »

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Re: If you have a cell phone given to you by your office....

Post by ScarletB »

aeroparrot wrote:
ScarletB wrote:i have a work Blackberry but I kept my personal cell. I hardly use the thing except to check emails when I'm not in my office. Don't use my cell phone much either except on concert weekends! :D

I'm not sure how they will work for you and if you are still required to pay the taxes on the 25% of the calls even if you don't use it very much. Knowing the government, probably yes.
Then I'll just give it back, I have that choice. It's not like I ENJOY being able to see work emails on vacation. :roll:
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Re: If you have a cell phone given to you by your office....

Post by SchoolGirlHeart »

aeroparrot wrote:
ScarletB wrote:i have a work Blackberry but I kept my personal cell. I hardly use the thing except to check emails when I'm not in my office. Don't use my cell phone much either except on concert weekends! :D
I'm not sure how they will work for you and if you are still required to pay the taxes on the 25% of the calls even if you don't use it very much. Knowing the government, probably yes.
You'll have to keep records to prove you use it only for work.
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Re: If you have a cell phone given to you by your office....

Post by ScarletB »

SchoolGirlHeart wrote:
aeroparrot wrote:
ScarletB wrote:i have a work Blackberry but I kept my personal cell. I hardly use the thing except to check emails when I'm not in my office. Don't use my cell phone much either except on concert weekends! :D
I'm not sure how they will work for you and if you are still required to pay the taxes on the 25% of the calls even if you don't use it very much. Knowing the government, probably yes.
You'll have to keep records to prove you use it only for work.
I don't know how I'd do that as I don't ever see the bill, it goes right through the bank. And so far I've only used it to check emails when I'm out of the office. Like I said, I'll just give the silly thing back, it's not like I love having it. :D
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Re: If you have a cell phone given to you by your office....

Post by RinglingRingling »

would think that the tax would apply if you were operating as a mixed-use. If it is a business-phone taking only business calls/emails and provided by the company, and you can prove there was no personal usage, it is not income, just a tool.
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Re: If you have a cell phone given to you by your office....

Post by SchoolGirlHeart »

RinglingRingling wrote:would think that the tax would apply if you were operating as a mixed-use. If it is a business-phone taking only business calls/emails and provided by the company, and you can prove there was no personal usage, it is not income, just a tool.
Yep, true, but what the IRS is proposing is they will ASSUME you're using it for 1/4 private use unless you can PROVE you're not. And proving it will be an incredible PITA..... :-?
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Re: If you have a cell phone given to you by your office....

Post by CaptainP »

I carry two phones, one work, one personal.
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Re: If you have a cell phone given to you by your office....

Post by RinglingRingling »

SchoolGirlHeart wrote:
RinglingRingling wrote:would think that the tax would apply if you were operating as a mixed-use. If it is a business-phone taking only business calls/emails and provided by the company, and you can prove there was no personal usage, it is not income, just a tool.
Yep, true, but what the IRS is proposing is they will ASSUME you're using it for 1/4 private use unless you can PROVE you're not. And proving it will be an incredible PITA..... :-?
easy enough. 2 phones. 1 personal, 1 for business. company has strict policies about usage.
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Re: If you have a cell phone given to you by your office....

Post by SchoolGirlHeart »

RinglingRingling wrote:
SchoolGirlHeart wrote:
RinglingRingling wrote:would think that the tax would apply if you were operating as a mixed-use. If it is a business-phone taking only business calls/emails and provided by the company, and you can prove there was no personal usage, it is not income, just a tool.
Yep, true, but what the IRS is proposing is they will ASSUME you're using it for 1/4 private use unless you can PROVE you're not. And proving it will be an incredible PITA..... :-?
easy enough. 2 phones. 1 personal, 1 for business. company has strict policies about usage.
I hope it's as easy as that, and it SHOULD be.... But with the IRS, I doubt it.... :-?
Carry on as you know they would want you to do. ~~JB, dedication to Tim Russert

Take your time
Find your passion
Life goes on until it ends
Don’t stop living
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Re: If you have a cell phone given to you by your office....

Post by sonofabeach »

Just do what I did.
Destroy two work phones, somehow get out of paying for them and they won't give you any more :lol:
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Re: If you have a cell phone given to you by your office....

Post by Skibo »

This tax was originally passed in 1989. According to the Reuters article

http://www.reuters.com/article/technolo ... RP20090612

it seems that employers will assign an arbitrary percentage and that will be the taxed value. Seems to me that the employer should state that company cell phones are for company use only and not personal. This seems very difficult to enforce to me. What's the government going to do fire you from your job for violating the company policy of business use only? Hmmmm...Rick Wagoner was fired by the government I guess anything is possible. What about personal calls from land lines? Shouldn't they be taxed also? And personal use of the copy machine. and personal use of the internet. Shouldn't that all be taxed?
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Re: If you have a cell phone given to you by your office....

Post by Bicycle Bill »

Skibo wrote:This tax was originally passed in 1989. According to the Reuters article

http://www.reuters.com/article/technolo ... RP20090612

it seems that employers will assign an arbitrary percentage and that will be the taxed value. Seems to me that the employer should state that company cell phones are for company use only and not personal. This seems very difficult to enforce to me. What's the government going to do fire you from your job for violating the company policy of business use only? Hmmmm...Rick Wagoner was fired by the government I guess anything is possible. What about personal calls from land lines? Shouldn't they be taxed also? And personal use of the copy machine. and personal use of the internet. Shouldn't that all be taxed?
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Re: If you have a cell phone given to you by your office....

Post by Wino you know »

CaptainP wrote:I carry two phones, one work, one personal.
Same here.
I'd been keeping my work cell phone turned off when I'm not AT work, but, as we're supposed to be available 24/7, and, since I DO like getting "on call" pay, I now leave it on all the time.

We're not SUPPOSED to make long distance personal calls with the work cell, but it's *authorized* from the office.

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Re: If you have a cell phone given to you by your office....

Post by aeroparrot »

RinglingRingling wrote:would think that the tax would apply if you were operating as a mixed-use. If it is a business-phone taking only business calls/emails and provided by the company, and you can prove there was no personal usage, it is not income, just a tool.
Unfortunately, based on what the article states, the IRS will assume you're using the company phone for personal usage and force you to pay taxes on the usage. Knowing the IRS, they will make it very difficult for you to prove that you don't use it for personal calls. Knowing them, if you ask the other person on the line how they are doing, they could rule that a personal call (even if we ask it to be polite).
If you want an experience, go to a Jimmy Buffett concert.

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Re: If you have a cell phone given to you by your office....

Post by seminolegrl06 »

aeroparrot wrote:
RinglingRingling wrote:would think that the tax would apply if you were operating as a mixed-use. If it is a business-phone taking only business calls/emails and provided by the company, and you can prove there was no personal usage, it is not income, just a tool.
Unfortunately, based on what the article states, the IRS will assume you're using the company phone for personal usage and force you to pay taxes on the usage. Knowing the IRS, they will make it very difficult for you to prove that you don't use it for personal calls. Knowing them, if you ask the other person on the line how they are doing, they could rule that a personal call (even if we ask it to be polite).
I thought Obama was giving 90% of americans a tax cut?! This sounds like if affects more than just the "rich" top brackets of tax payers... hmmmm...

Perhaps when republicans tired to explain these type of tax raises (the kind that affects large amounts of tax payers) we were right...
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Re: If you have a cell phone given to you by your office....

Post by RinglingRingling »

aeroparrot wrote:
RinglingRingling wrote:would think that the tax would apply if you were operating as a mixed-use. If it is a business-phone taking only business calls/emails and provided by the company, and you can prove there was no personal usage, it is not income, just a tool.
Unfortunately, based on what the article states, the IRS will assume you're using the company phone for personal usage and force you to pay taxes on the usage. Knowing the IRS, they will make it very difficult for you to prove that you don't use it for personal calls. Knowing them, if you ask the other person on the line how they are doing, they could rule that a personal call (even if we ask it to be polite).
having spoken to an accountant with access to the original rules, and dimly remembering the conversation:

a) company provides phone, has policy in place, performs regular audits of usage, probably not a problem.
b) company provides phone, no policy in place, no audit of usage: on the hook for the taxes.
c) company provides phone, policy in place, user audits and reimburses for any personal use on proration system, probably not a problem.

yes it depends on the amount of paperwork provided/required, but basically it sounds like the usual: keep records, engage in basic business practices and it isn't an issue. Get creative or sloppy, you will probably have one.


And if the rules were on the book since 1989 and not enforced, that takes it all the way back to Geo. I "Read my lips"'s era. So evidently the Repubs wanted a cash grab back then too.
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Re: If you have a cell phone given to you by your office....

Post by LIBuffettFan »

So let me see, if I use my work phone for personal use I have to pay taxes on it, so that would reason that if I use my personal cell for business then I should get a tax credit as a business expense, maybe that would offset the taxes for my work phone!! God I hate the IRS. :-?
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