E3only

hi there,
I am filing my taxes for 2010 and I have one quick question around moving expenses.I moved here in May of 2010.

I heard that I can not claim them given I did not file a 2009 return in US? I can only claim if the move is from a job to another...

just wanted to confirm that. the problem is - when i got this job I negotiated some assistance from the employer and they paid me a small sign on bonus which of course makes it's way into my W2.

Thanks,

Bob

You can only claim certain moving expenses and they do have to be related to a job move, but not necessarily because you moved from another job.

Any moving expenses and sign on bonuses you got, you should have had gross'ed up, so that the amount you agreed to get would be the amount you actually get after taxes. Though that's probably in hindsight now.

E3only

yeah I mean that was back then when we had 13-15% unemployment so my position was not going to be able to get too much..

anyway so all i want to claim is the $$ i spent on cargo and my flight cost that's all really.just wanted to know if i can...

N1cky

You can claim flight and cargo costs, here is the irs document on what you can and can't claim.

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p521.pdf

E3only

Thanks so there is nothing that stops me from claiming expenses I paid to move from overseas to US?

page 8 bottom left...

MsElui

the other thing to look out for is if the expenses were 'protected'. When we came over our moving expenses were partially paid at source(ie company paid removal firm direct) and partially in a lump sum allowance. We obviously got taxed on the allowance but at tax return time the company accountatnt did a calculation and the company paid us an extra check to make up for the amount we had paid in tax.