Travel Nurse Taxes and Tax Free Money

Everything travel nurses need to know about travel nurse taxes, stipends and tax free money including how to qualify for it.

Travel Nursing Pay – The 50 Mile Myth for Tax Free Stipends

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The “50 Mile Rule” is one of the most common fallacies pertaining to tax-free reimbursements for travel nurses. It’s prominent among both travel nurses and travel nursing recruiters. Purveyors of this “rule” claim that it allows travel nurses to accept tax-free reimbursements as long as the travel assignment is 50 miles or more from the travel nurse’s tax home. This is incorrect. The IRS makes no such determination. In this article, we’ll thoroughly review this topic so travel nurses can approach it with confidence. Read more

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How Long Can a Travel Nurse Stay in One Place?

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Travel nurses typically receive tax-free reimbursements for various expenses because they travel away from their tax-home for work. However, there are limits as to how long a travel nurse can stay in one place and continue to qualify for tax-free reimbursements. In this article, we’ll discuss all of this topic’s angles so travel nurses can approach it with confidence. Read more

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6 Things Travel Nurses Should Know About GSA Rates

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Understandably, there is a lot of confusion about GSA rates and how they apply to travel nursing pay. The confusion stems from the fact that including tax-free stipends as part of a salary package is pretty much unique to traveling professionals, so it’s not something we’re really used to dealing with. Additionally, there is a lot of misinformation floating around that only serves to further obfuscate the issue. In this blog post, we’ll cover some of the most common areas of confusion regarding GSA rates so travel nurses can approach the subject with confidence. Read more

Travel Nursing Pay: The M&IE Stipend

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The tax-free aspect of the travel nursing pay package can get really confusing. Different companies approach and handle it in different ways. You’ll find many companies that refer to the Meals and Incidental Expenditure (M&IE) stipend as one of the components of their pay package.

Like the rest of the pay package, the M&IE stipend can be confusing. Recruiters often use different terms when describing it. Different agencies offer different amounts in the same area. Recruiters often do a poor job of defining it clearly. In the end, travel nurses are often left wondering what’s really going on with this compensation variable. Read more

7 Things to Know about Travel Nursing Pay & Wage Recharacterization

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Travel nursing pay packages are quite complex compared to permanent-job pay packages. This is due to the fact that travel nursing pay is commonly split between a taxable base rate and various tax-free reimbursements.

Moreover, different agencies have different ways of splitting the pay among the various pay package components. Some agencies will pay travel nurses more tax-free money and less taxable money, and vice-versa.

However, there are rules that agencies must follow. One set of rules that agencies should adhere to pertain to what is commonly called “wage recharacterization.” Understanding this issue will provide travel nurses with a better understanding of travel nursing pay.

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Travel Nursing – Is It Worth It Without a Tax-home?

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Travel nursing agencies and their recruiters trumpet the benefits of tax-free stipends in their marketing campaigns and sales pitches. And of course, why wouldn’t they? In most cases, the tax-free stipends can result in hundreds of additional dollars making their way into the pocket of the travel nurse. But what if the travel nurse doesn’t have a tax-home and therefore doesn’t qualify for tax-free stipends? Is it still worth it? There are several issues to consider when answering this question.
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Travel Nursing Pay – Record Keeping for Tax Purposes: Part 2

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In part 1 of this series, we discussed the importance of keeping your travel nursing contracts and pay-stubs as a travel nurse. In this post, we’ll discuss the importance of keeping travel records, keeping receipts, and finding a good tax adviser. Read more