Jackson Hewitt® Reminds Taxpayers to Take Advantage of the Multiple Job-Related Tax Deductions

PARSIPPANY, N.J., Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Jackson Hewitt Tax Service^®, the nation's second largest tax preparation firm, reminds taxpayers to take advantage of all the tax credits and deductions to which they are entitled. Unreimbursed occupation-related expenses may lead to valuable tax deductions that can significantly increase the size of a refund or decrease the amount owed back to the government.

"There have been more than 15,000 changes to the tax code since 1986, and most taxpayers simply aren't aware of all the deductions available to them," said Mark Steber, chief tax officer of Jackson Hewitt Tax Service. "A trusted neighborhood tax professional can help assure taxpayers are taking advantage of every deduction possible."

Jackson Hewitt's proprietary Deductions@Work program assists taxpayers in identifying occupation-related tax deductions available to them. The program reviews more than 50 of the most common occupations and lists the unique deductions that may be available to professionals such as the following:

Construction Worker

• Dues for trade associations or unions
• Safety equipment such as steel-toed shoes or boots
• Specialized equipment or tools that are replaceable within one year
• Insurance premiums for protection against liability or wrongful acts
• The cost and upkeep of uniforms if they are required for work and not suitable for everyday wear (for example, specialized coveralls, hard hat, work gloves, safety shoes and goggles)
• State or local government regulatory fees, licenses or flat rate occupational taxes, provided these fees are not paid for initial certification or licensing
• Subscriptions to trade journals related to your work

Daycare Provider

• Work-related supplies that you provide, such as markers, crayons, diapers, and wipes
• Fees for licensing/bonding
• Liability insurance
• The cost and upkeep of uniforms if they are required for work and not suitable for everyday wear

Military Service Member

• Professional dues (but not dues paid to an officers' club or a noncommissioned officers' club) and subscriptions to professional journals
• Cost and cleaning of military battle dress uniforms (including rank insignia, medals, accoutrements, epaulets and swords) and reservists' uniforms if you cannot wear them off duty
• Moving expenses if on active duty and the move is based on a permanent change of station order (PCS order)
• Travel, meals (with limitations), mileage and laundry expenses if incurred while traveling away from home (for example, to perform authorized drills and training duty)
  • For military travel deductions, "home" is your permanent duty station and may not necessarily be where you or your family live
• Job-related training

Office Worker

• Dues for professional associations
• Job-related equipment or supplies that are replaceable within one year
• Subscriptions to publications and journals related to your work
• State or local government regulatory fees, licenses or flat rate occupational taxes, provided these fees are not paid for initial certification or licensing

To learn which deductions are available for a given profession, visit Jackson Hewitt's Online Resource Center. Additional information can be found at www.jacksonhewitt.com.

About Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc.
Based in Parsippany, NJ, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. is an industry-leading provider of full service individual federal and state income tax preparation, with nearly 6,500 franchised and company-owned locations throughout the United States, including 2,800 located in Walmart stores nationwide. Jackson Hewitt Tax Service^® also offers an online tax preparation product at www.jacksonhewittonline.com. For more information, or to locate your neighborhood Jackson Hewitt^® office, visit www.jacksonhewitt.com or call 1-800-234-1040. Jackson Hewitt can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Contacts:
David G. Weselcouch
Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc.
(973) 630-0809
[email protected]             

Melissa Connerton
CooperKatz & Company
(917) 595-3039
[email protected]    

SOURCE Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc.