If my employer reimbursed me directly for temporary housing while I relocated. Is this taxable? (2024)

Definition of Temporary Housing

According to the Internal Revenue Service, temporary housing is housing that you live in when working on a temporary assignment for your employer that takes you outside of an acceptable commuting distance from your home. The IRS further defines "temporary" as one year or less. Temporary housing may include a hotel or motel, an apartment or a rented house.

Nontaxable: Temporary Move

Any reimbursem*nts that you receive from your employer for travel and living expenses you incur while on a temporary assignment are not taxable. Your employer will not include these reimbursem*nts in your gross income on your W-2, nor should you include this income on your tax return. If you incur all or a portion of these expenses without reimbursem*nt from your employer, you may deduct these expenses from your taxable income as unreimbursed business expenses.

Taxable: Permanent Move

The IRS does consider any reimbursem*nts for temporary housing associated with a permanent move taxable. For example, if your employer transfers you to a new office and pays for your relocation, the IRS treats those expenses as nontaxable moving expenses. However, if your employer also pays for you to stay in temporary housing while you finalize the move out of your former home, then 100 percent of those payments are fully taxable.

Caution

If, for example, you live in temporary housing while on an eight-month assignment, the reimbursem*nt for that housing remains fully deductible for the duration of your stay. However, if your employer and you subsequently decide that you will stay in your “temporary” location for another six months, bringing your total stint to well over a year, the IRS then considers your temporary assignment to be permanent. The date the decision was made to keep you there for longer than a year is the date that your temporary housing reimbursem*nt becomes taxable. This applies whether your employer physically reimbursed you or paid for the housing directly.

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If my employer reimbursed me directly for temporary housing while I relocated. Is this taxable? (2024)

FAQs

If my employer reimbursed me directly for temporary housing while I relocated. Is this taxable? ›

Nontaxable: Temporary Move

Are employer reimbursed moving expenses taxable? ›

To put it simply, any amount an employer pays a relocating employee to help cover moving expenses is added to the employee's W2 statement. Therefore, the employee will need to pay taxes on the total amount given, in addition to their annual salary.

Is temporary housing reimbursem*nt taxable? ›

Temporary Assignments are defined as employment away from home in a single location wherein the employment is realistically expected, and in fact, lasts one year (365 days) or less. Travel reimbursem*nts for meals, lodging, transportation, etc., while on temporary assignments are not taxable income to the employee.

Are reimbursed housing expenses taxable? ›

It is taxable income for the employee. This includes both housing that an employer pays for and housing allowances. Do you offer a choice between additional pay or housing to your employees?

Is temporary housing considered a moving expense? ›

Non-qualified moving expenses include meals during transit, temporary housing upon arrival at the new location, or any other non-essential expenditures related to relocation.

Are employer reimbursem*nts taxable? ›

Non-accountable plan reimbursem*nts will require paying income taxes, FICA taxes, and unemployment taxes. Essentially reimbursem*nts under a non-accountable plan are wages, and need to be recorded on the employee's W-2.

Are relocation expenses reimbursable? ›

A relocation reimbursem*nt is issued in order to repay the employee for the cost of relocation. These terms are negotiated and presented in the employee's relocation package.

Is employer-provided housing taxable? ›

Housing — or housing allowances — provided as a fringe benefit is taxable and subject to withholding, just like regular income tax. This amount will need to be added to the employee's W-2 form in box 1. Any additional fringe benefits can be added there as well.

Is a housing allowance taxable income? ›

You must report the total housing allowance on your Form 1040 but can exclude the eligible portion. For self-employment tax purposes, the housing allowance must be included in your net earnings from self-employment.

Are HRA reimbursem*nts reported to IRS? ›

An HRA must receive contributions from the employer only. Employees may not contribute. Contributions aren't includible in income. Reimbursem*nts from an HRA that are used to pay qualified medical expenses aren't taxed.

What is the housing expense rule? ›

A household should spend a maximum of 28% of its gross monthly income on total housing expenses according to this rule, and no more than 36% on total debt service. This includes housing and other debt such as car loans and credit cards. Lenders often use this rule to assess whether to extend credit to borrowers.

What is it called when your job provides housing? ›

The Employee Housing Program oversees the construction, maintenance, use, and occupancy of privately-owned or -operated employee housing facilities providing housing for five or more employees to assure their health, safety, and general welfare.

Are reimbursed client expenses considered income? ›

The payment of $400 that you will receive from your client can be seen both as revenue towards you and as a payment to the initial invoice. Thus, the expense reimbursem*nt process is completed. Reimbursed expenses are considered revenue since its incoming money.

Are temporary relocation expenses taxable? ›

Please be aware that ALL move/relocation expenses and reimbursem*nts are taxable to the new employee.

Does relocation expenses include rent? ›

The cost of temporary furnished rental housing or a hotel for a certain period of time is often provided. Rent and utility fees are typically included for rental housing. Moving. The cost of a moving truck and other related expenses may be included.

Do moving expenses count as housing allowance? ›

If you must relocate and your spouse and dependents move to or from a different location, do not include in income reimbursem*nts, allowances, or the value of moving and storage services provided by the government to move you and your spouse and dependents to and from the separate locations.

Are job moving expenses tax deductible? ›

Beginning in 2018, moving expenses are no longer eligible for a tax deduction on your federal tax return however, some states such as California continue to provide a deduction on your state tax return if you qualify.

How do employers pay relocation expenses? ›

A relocation stipend is a set amount of money an employer provides to cover job-related moving expenses. A stipend can either be pre-fixed based on company policies or calculated based on the employee's actual expenses. Most employers offer a combination of both, with an upper limit on how much they will reimburse.

Are reimbursed travel expenses taxable income? ›

In short, no. But that's provided your employer completes the pay stub accurately as part of their expense reimbursem*nt process. If they incorrectly lump the reimbursed amount with your wages, it's taxed. If you're worried, talk to your accounting department before your employer reimburses you.

Is relocation reimbursem*nt taxable reddit? ›

If you're reimbursed for moving by your job, you are taxed on that as income. The business gets to write it off as wages, so ultimately the business does get a benefit. You, however, still needed to pay it out and then are taxed on the reimbursem*nt.

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