Landscaper - Commute Miles

[Yardley CPA]

Schedule C Landscaper who has an office in his home.  Trucks are also kept there.  Would commute miles be from his home to his first stop each day (for each truck) and then everything inbetween would be pure business miles? 

 

Does anyone have any experience with Landscapers in this regard?

[kcjenkins]

More info, please.  You mention "trucks", plural.  How many?  Employees?  If he has employees and multiple trucks, then there is real justification for an 'office', and all truck mileage could be business. 

[Pacun]

All trucks and his personal vehicle too since he starts working at home, just by showing where the keys are kept to the other drivers. So, let's say that each morning he wakes up and then he opens the door to the drivers. That's his first work engagement... all miles after that are business miles and it doesn't matter what car he uses.

[TAXMAN]

My landscaper buddy keeps his trucks and equipment at his home where his shop is. Dad comes in at night, cleans all, sharpens all and repairs all things busted that day. Next morning drivers get keys from office and are gone. I see this as no problem.

[Abby Normal]

If his home is a place of business, then he has no commuting miles. It's all business. That's why you want "business use of home".

[kcjenkins]

Which is why we are still waiting for an answer to # of employees and trucks, etc.

[Yardley CPA]

Thanks very much for all your replies.  Very much appreciated.  Sounds like it may be all business miles.

 

Additional info:

 

It is a small schedule C landscaping business.  Office for the business is his home where his four trucks are "garaged."  These trucks leave from that home address and are brought back to that home address each day.  He has 7 total employees. 

[kcjenkins]

Then, yes, he absolutely is on solid ground to take OIH, and all the truck mileage is business, assuming he has another 'personal' vehicle.   

[Abby Normal]

Which is why we are still waiting for an answer to # of employees and trucks, etc.

# of employees and trucks does not matter. You can have no employees and one truck and still get business use of home.

[Pacun]

# of employees and trucks does not matter. You can have no employees and one truck and still get business use of home.

 

Correct, but in an audit, it is easier to defend a business when the business has 8 trucks. If you have invested money for 8 trucks and have hired 8 drivers, no one will question the business or hobby theory.

[kcjenkins]

# of employees and trucks does not matter. You can have no employees and one truck and still get business use of home.

Well, yes, it's POSSIBLE, given specific facts and circumstances, but not even close to an automatic answer.  But with employees and multiple trucks, it gets much easier FOR US to give a positive answer to the original poster.