Good Tax News = Good Flying News

Keith Ward

Keith Ward

Pre-Flight
Joined
Jan 8, 2019
Messages
74
Location
Westminster, MD
Display Name
Display name:
Druvanius
(Full post here)

So I went to do my 2018 taxes yesterday. It is the very opposite of the Christmas song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." I hate all things to do with money -- especially paying it to the government. After all, you need money to fly. Lots of money. Aviation is mostly about justifying your need to spend dollars you don't have.

But I got unexpectedly good news from my accountant. Not only did we get (a little) refund, but I found out some very positive information as it relates to flying airplanes and deductions. I won't go into details, but it looks like flying may be more affordable in the future for me. I am down with that.

It even made me start dreaming of <insert scary music here> maybe someday, and a day not so long in the future, getting my own plane again. I owned an RV-4 many years ago, when I was a brand-spanking-new pilot. I still love them, too... <insert scarier music>

(NOTE TO SELF: make sure wife doesn't see this post.)

Hey, it's never too early to dream, you know?
 
Warning.... total click bait folks.

Kieth..... WTF ? The post and the click bait are worthless. Honestly. Are you trying to get click stats on the blog or what? Not only do you not disclose this magical new IRS rule, your blog is the exact same thing you posted here.

Not cool man... seriously.
 
please note this in the PoA logs, I actually agree with unit74.
 
I truly do not get this. I posted a link to an article earlier. I was told "This is clickbait! You should post the entire article here!"

So, I post the entire article here. Then I get told "This is clickbait! What are you doing, posting the same article here?" I did both to give folks options. But when I do that, folks scream about the options.

I have to say that I'm totally lost at this point. If someone links to a video they've posted on YouTube, is that clickbait? If they link to a Tweet they've sent or a picture on Instagram, is that clickbait?

As I said before, there's no advertising on the site, nothing being shoved in anyone's face. I don't force anyone to click it. The linked article is the same, except for the picture of my old plane. Does that make it different enough?

I guess I need the rules explained, because I don't get it. I'm not being snarky here; just wondering where the line is. Does no one around here link to their own stuff?
 
Sooo.... you entice us to read your new IRS trick by posting your blog spot link, only to get us to your blog where there is no substance to read about said new way to afford flying.....

Iterwebz ain’t new to all of us.... it’s called click bait.
 
Unit74 said:
Sooo.... you entice us to read your new IRS trick by posting your blog spot link, only to get us to your blog where there is no substance to read about said new way to afford flying.....

Iterwebz ain’t new to all of us.... it’s called click bait.
Click to expand...
Interesting take on things. It was a short blog about good tax news that allows me to fly more. I said nothing at all about any "IRS tricks." I was basically happy that I didn't owe the government, which would allow me to fly more.

I make no money on my website. I don't have ads. I'm not selling anything. There's no benefit to me. I'm simply writing about my flying experiences. Explain, if you would, the clickbait angle, since I don't get a dime from this.
 
Keith Ward said:
I found out some very positive information as it relates to flying airplanes and deductions. [But] I won't go into details
Click to expand...
This is the part that's uncool. It's like you are trying to pull a Fermat's Last Theorem on us.
 
asicer said:
This is the part that's uncool. It's like you are trying to pull a Fermat's Last Theorem on us.
Click to expand...
That's a totally fair point. The idea was that it would be boring tax-related stuff, and it wasn't an exhaustive blog. If I was truly going the clickbait angle, though, wouldn't it have made more sense to then go into the explanation on the full blog? Note that I'm not accusing you of saying I'm going for clickbait -- just trying to figure this out, and why folks are getting so upset.
 
So what's this positive information?
 
Ok... it’s basically no different than all the click bait on advert websites...

There is a hook...

“Drivers in (your state) are using this new trick to beat red light cameras” and curiosity sinks in. You click the ad in the hopes of finding out this way, cuz you run red lights on occasion. The click takes you somewhere else that ends up not telling you anything or in fact, bolsters their own website stats making them more desirable to other advert hosts to get the magical click.

Yet when it comes out in the wash, the click was a complete waste of time and just a ploy to get you on their website to look at their stuff, which would also include their ads.

Click bait.

Now, you may not have any ads, but it is disingenuous to post up some secretive new info on taxes and just leave a teaser here just to get us on your blog, perhaps because you get kicks out of seing “views” racking up and/or satisfying the addictive nature of views and “likes” to the millennial generation who have become accustomed to living the virtual persona of digital reality. Who knows why you think we should be clamoring over your blog at this point.

But the reality is, nobody likes to be tricked into looking at content that has no value to them just so the content owner can create their own empire of BS and one day gets a few bills paid of the click bait they post.

Bottom line, is I am calling your post click bait, because that is exactly what it is.
 
azblackbird said:
I'm curious about all the deductions your accountant told you about. Let's hear it....
Click to expand...
It was more of an overall tax strategy: what you need to do to legitimately claim flying deductions so the IRS doesn't come after you when you buy a plane and fly the plane. I'm a little gun shy to say more at this point, given the response here today, and that the blog wasn't about "How To Write Off Your Plane in 5 Easy Steps." That wasn't its purpose, but I sure seem to have stepped on some toes, and that's not what I'm going for here.
 
@Unit74 -- You are certainly welcome to do that. In that case, am I similarly allowed to judge your motives for doing things without knowing you? Seems fair.

I think I'll sign off now, as I had no intentions of igniting this little fire. I didn't mean to offend anyone, and was only trying to contribute to the community here. It seems I did that poorly.
 
There's no problem with promoting a site as long as you post in the classifieds, that's what @calberto did.
 
Keith Ward said:
@Unit74 -- You are certainly welcome to do that. In that case, am I similarly allowed to judge your motives for doing things without knowing you? Seems fair.

I think I'll sign off now, as I had no intentions of igniting this little fire. I didn't mean to offend anyone, and was only trying to contribute to the community here. It seems I did that poorly.
Click to expand...

It’s hard not to see it at face value Kieth. Even in your responses, you are vague and less than forthcoming. I think it is a fair statement to say that nobody likes being tricked into viewing content. Because you were caught red handed, doe not mean you are not welcome. A “hey guys, check out my new blog I’m slapping together.” Would have been A OK with me....

Tricking me into viewing it is just slimy.....
 
Keith Ward said:
It was more of an overall tax strategy: what you need to do to legitimately claim flying deductions so the IRS doesn't come after you when you buy a plane and fly the plane. I'm a little gun shy to say more at this point, given the response here today, and that the blog wasn't about "How To Write Off Your Plane in 5 Easy Steps." That wasn't its purpose, but I sure seem to have stepped on some toes, and that's not what I'm going for here.
Click to expand...


This is nothing new and groundbreaking. I've been taking tax deductible flights since 2005. Actually for me the new tax codes prevent me from taking the deductions. I don't have enough itemized to make the $12,000 standard deduction.
 
The guys have a point, Keith. I seem to continually see these types of posts from you. Instead of providing the full amount of information on here (POA), you’ll share just a teaser of the subject and then direct us to click on your blog to read the rest. That IS clickbait and it’s really annoying. If that is your intention, than post your threads in ‘The Classifieds’, because that’s essentially what they are.
 
Also annoying is the whole "I've got a secret, but I'm not going to tell you what it is, just that I have one"

3rd grade called, they want their maturity level back.

(No offense to 3rd graders)
 
****in savages mate
 
There's always the ignore option, and let the MC deal with it.

This isn't much different than the last guy that was making videos about stuff he learned yesterday. Nobody complained about him posting videos. Maybe you should make videos lol...
 
JonH said:
There's always the ignore option, and let the MC deal with it.

This isn't much different than the last guy that was making videos about stuff he learned yesterday. Nobody complained about him posting videos. Maybe you should make videos lol...
Click to expand...

Difference was that the guy was straightforward with his videos. "Here's a video of xyz."

If this guy made a video, he wouldn't actually tell you anything in the video. It would just be, "I've got a tax secret, but I can't tell you about it."
 
EdFred said:
Difference was that the guy was straightforward with his videos. "Here's a video of xyz."

If this guy made a video, he wouldn't actually tell you anything in the video. It would just be, "I've got a tax secret, but I can't tell you about it."
Click to expand...

True. I probably should have read it.
 
So let’s turn this positive: Please tell me in this thread how I can get some tax relief for my money-pit.

The short version first. Then we can argue about details.

Then I can ask my tax guy with reference docs in-hand (and for the “pee-nut” gallery: don’t tell me to find an aviation accountant and aviation tax expert...unless you got a name, I’m lazy and would rather throw money away or use my amateur tax dude for now, there I said it).
 
455 Bravo Uniform said:
So let’s turn this positive: Please tell me in this thread how I can get some tax relief for my money-pit.

The short version first. Then we can argue about details.

Then I can ask my tax guy with reference docs in-hand (and for the “pee-nut” gallery: don’t tell me to find an aviation accountant and aviation tax expert...unless you got a name, I’m lazy and would rather throw money away or use my amateur tax dude for now, there I said it).
Click to expand...

Werd.....
 
EdFred said:
...3rd grade called, they want their maturity level back.

(No offense to 3rd graders)
Click to expand...

well most blogs are essentially diaries which, I think u did in 3rd grade, no? "Dear Diary, I saved on my taxes today."
 
455 Bravo Uniform said:
So let’s turn this positive: Please tell me in this thread how I can get some tax relief for my money-pit.

The short version first. Then we can argue about details.

Then I can ask my tax guy with reference docs in-hand (and for the “pee-nut” gallery: don’t tell me to find an aviation accountant and aviation tax expert...unless you got a name, I’m lazy and would rather throw money away or use my amateur tax dude for now, there I said it).
Click to expand...

If you're single and can cobble together over $12,000 of itemized deductions ($24,000 if married) then the two deductions I've used in the past are Charity Flights (Pilots N Paws, Angel Flight, Lifeline, etc...), and travel for business that isn't reimbursed by the company. This year however, I would have needed to racked up a bunch more flights than I did. For me the standard deduction was way more than my itemizations would have been. I didn't even bother adding them up, I knew I wouldn't be close.
 
''Only the little people pay taxes...''

hemsley4cr.jpg
 
Personally I still miss Hawaiian Punch. Those gloves yo.....
 
EdFred said:
If you're single and can cobble together over $12,000 of itemized deductions ($24,000 if married) then the two deductions I've used in the past are Charity Flights (Pilots N Paws, Angel Flight, Lifeline, etc...), and travel for business that isn't reimbursed by the company. This year however, I would have needed to racked up a bunch more flights than I did. For me the standard deduction was way more than my itemizations would have been. I didn't even bother adding them up, I knew I wouldn't be close.
Click to expand...

Married. So if no home mortgage and I didn’t have much else to itemize. $24,000 / $65 per hour fuel operating cost = 370 hours of flying before my flying would out-do the std ded.
 
EdFred said:
If you're single and can cobble together over $12,000 of itemized deductions
Click to expand...

Bought a house with a mortgage in the western US, problem solved. If they hadn't limited state/local taxes as a deduction that might have worked as well. I'm sure I'm going to be screwed on taxes in any case, so it's not like it matters.
 
EdFred said:
If you're single and can cobble together over $12,000 of itemized deductions ($24,000 if married) then the two deductions I've used in the past are Charity Flights (Pilots N Paws, Angel Flight, Lifeline, etc...), and travel for business that isn't reimbursed by the company. This year however, I would have needed to racked up a bunch more flights than I did. For me the standard deduction was way more than my itemizations would have been. I didn't even bother adding them up, I knew I wouldn't be close.
Click to expand...

And with low interest rates, mortgage interest payments don’t amount to what they used to. It is hard to beat the standard deduction these days.

Actually I like the idea of a larger standard deduction so that you don’t have to worry about itemizing, keeping receipts, and possibly having to justify things to the IRS.
 
Last year was the first time in 25 years I did not itemize. It felt odd... seriously. Like I was completely leaving something out and Mr Auditor was gonna have my ass over it.
 
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