Are Moving Expenses Tax Deductible?

It turns out you may be able to deduct your moving expenses if you:

- moved due to a change in your job or business location
- moved because you started a new job or business

You need to satisfy two conditions in order for your moving expenses to be tax deductible:

1. Your new job must be at least 50 miles away from your old home
2. You must work at your job full-time for at least 39 weeks during the first year right after you move.

Those conditions however don’t apply to members of the armed forces who moved due to a permanent change of station.

If your moving expenses were reimbursed by your employer, you can no longer deduct them.

Visit the IRS.gov site to learn more about the topic.

How to Deal with Stress Caused by Moving

When you are about to move to a new location you find yourself under a lot of pressure: finding a moving company, packing and discarding, living on suitcases, shutting down the utilities, starting them off again, address change, mail forward, waiting for a cable guy…. Your to-do-list seems endless and your comfort level is at its lowest.

But not all the stress is caused by dealing with the moving arrangements, part of the stress should be attributed to the effect of change and the necessity to adept to it. Your customary daily routine is disrupted, your surroundings are new and unfamiliar; you are a foreigner in the neighborhood you just moved in to and you miss your old life.

There are a few things you can do to regain your confidence and comfort sooner:

Unpack and organize.

Being unable to find anything among the numerous boxes and the mess caused by the move adds up to your frustration. You want to tackle the unpacking process immediately even if it means taking an extra day off at work. But once your items are all in place and the boxes are discarded, your home begins to feel like home, finding things gets easier, you are able to organize your days in a more efficient way.

Get New Stuff for Your New Home

Sometimes it’s simply weird to see your old furniture against the new walls. You move it around, try to find the optimal place for everything, but it still doesn’t look right. It’s like the old and the new fail to connect and you are stuck somewhere in the middle. Getting a few new items can be that connecting piece that you lack: bright curtains with some peculiar pattern, a painting, a new rug, a fancy chandelier. These decorative items will symbolize the change - your life is taking a new turn after all - but at the same time they will help your interior look complete and cozy.

Meet the Neighbors.

A friend of mine recently moved from Colorado to an apartment building in Manhattan. She asked me how weird it will be to bake a cake and offer it to her new neighbors. Maybe it will feel strange for them, chances are someone won’t even open the door, but I am sure there will still be people whose hearts will melt from such a nice gesture. But if it helps her feel more at home in a new neighborhood – why not? Don’t wait for your neighbors to start the conversation – introduce yourself first. The sooner you’ll get to know people whom you are likely to meet on a daily basis – the sooner you will feel like you belong here.

Have a House-Warming Party

Invite your old friends and your new neighbors. Connect the two dots together – your past and your future. Celebrate the change, after all partying, music and good food are all well-known stress-management tactics. Besides by arranging a house-warming party you sort of make it official: “I moved. Cheers to my new life!”

Common Misconceptions about Moving – Part II

Estimate is what you will pay once the job is done. An estimate is only… an estimate. The actual amount can be close to it, or it can be nothing like it. But before rushing to accuse the moving company of hidden or unjustified charges, ask yourself if you provided your estimator with an accurate inventory. When you receive your estimate over the phone you have to describe the furniture that you have and give an approximate amount of boxes. It’s common when customers forget to mention certain items, or underestimate how many boxes they will actually have. So if you want to get a binding estimate – request for company’s representative to come in and take a look at your furniture. If you are fine with getting your quote over the phone – be prepared to pay a different amount for the actual move.

You can ride with the movers on the truck to your new location. Moving companies as a rule don’t allow customers to ride on their trucks. First of all the back of the truck might be the only available spot for you to sit in – since the moving crew occupies the cabin. And trailers are not designed to provide protection in case of a crash. Besides no moving company wants to be liable, if something happens to you on the trip. They have workers’ compensation insurance which protects their employees, but not you. So it’s a good idea to book a cab or arrange for a friend to give you a ride, if you don’t own a car.

Anything can be loaded on a moving truck. In fact by federal law or internal policy, professional moving companies cannot transport the following items:

Hazardous Materials
Items that are flammable, corrosive or explosive:

Aerosols
Ammonia
Ammunition
Car batteries
Charcoal
Charcoal lighter fluid
Chemistry sets
Cleaning solvents
Fertilizer
Fireworks
Gasoline
Kerosene
Lamp oil
Loaded guns
Matches
Motor oil
Paint thinner
Nail polish remover
Paints
Pesticides
Poisons
Pool chemicals
Propane tanks
Sterno
Weed killer



Perishables
Food, plants or living things that may die or spoil in transit:

Frozen foods
Plants
Produce
Refrigerated foods
Open or half used foods

Common Misconceptions about Moving – Part I

Adjusting your expectations means being more prepared and less disappointed. When you hire a moving company, keep these common misconceptions in mind so that you know what to expect:

1. Movers are Always on Time. The truth is delays in moving are as frequent as those at the airport. However when your flight is delayed, you sit patiently at your terminal since there is not much you can do. When movers don’t show up at 9 am sharp, most people start calling the office at 15 minute intervals to express their rage and frustration. Don’t forget that you are dealing with transportation so delays on the road will affect you directly. Just sit back and wait till your moving truck gets through the heavy traffic. Keep in mind that many parkways are closed to trucks, so the driver might have to take an alternative route, which could take longer. Your moving crew will often consist of three of more people – all of them have to get to the company’s parking lot first, some of them taking a subway and occasionally being stuck there. And when one member of the crew is late, the rest have no choice but wait for him. If your move is scheduled for the afternoon, be aware that there is probably another moving job prior to yours, which may take longer than estimated. So thinking that movers are likely to be late is the right bet.

2. Movers Never Feel Tired. Or at least they shouldn’t on your move. Especially if you are paying by the hour. Some people expect the movers to work non-stop for hours: taking smoking, bathroom, or lunch breaks is not quite appreciated. Others find that their crew is not moving fast enough: could you guys run a little faster on the stairs with our extra-heavy grand piano? But speed affects the job quality: things get damaged more frequently if they are being moved in rush. So remember a simple thing: movers are humans, not robots! They need an occasional break and there is clearly a limit to how fast they move around.

3. Everything Can be Wrapped in Moving Blankets. And you can save on the packing supplies – who wants to buy boxes when blankets can be used for free? Some people go even further – they throw their small stuff in large trash bags instead of using the boxes. And they put little consideration how much weight those bags can really hold. Then they demand movers to use blankets to wrap their flat screen TV, an antique mirror and their glass china cabinet. To which the movers will respond, “We will, as long as you sign that you won’t hold us liable for damage”. The point is if you want your furniture intact, use proper packing supplies. Moving blankets are good for your couch, but not for your breakables.