Are My Moving Expenses Tax Deductible?

Find out if you Move is Deductible from your taxes

Tax Deductible Moving Expense

 Moving Expenses

If you moved due to a change in your job or business location, or because you started a new job or business, you may be able to deduct your reasonable moving expenses but not any expenses for meals. You can deduct your moving expenses if you meet all three of the following requirements:

• Your move closely relates to the start of work
• You meet the distance test
• You meet the time test

Move Related to Start of Work - Your move must closely relate both in time and in place to the start of work at your new location. You can consider moving expenses incurred within one year from the date you first reported to work at the new location as closely related in time to the start of work. A move generally relates closely in place if the distance from your new home to the new job location is not more than the distance from your former home to the new job location. For exceptions to these requirements, see Publication 521,Moving Expenses.

The distance test - Your new workplace must be at least 50 miles farther from your old home than your old job location was from your old home. If you had no previous workplace, your new job location must be at least 50 miles from your old home.

The time test - If you are an employee, you must work full-time for at least 39 weeks during the first 12 months immediately following your arrival in the general area of your new job location. If you are self-employed, you must work full time for at least 39 weeks during the first 12 months and for a total of at least 78 weeks during the first 24 months immediately following your arrival in the general area of your new work location. There are exceptions to the time test in case of death, disability, and involuntary separation, among other things. See Publication 521 for these exceptions.

Members of the Armed Forces

If you are a member of the Armed Forces and your move was due to a military order and permanent change of station, you do not have to satisfy the distance or time tests.

Tax Deductible Moving Expense

Reporting Moving Expenses

Figure moving expenses on Form 3903 (PDF), Moving Expenses, and deduct as an adjustment to income on Form 1040 (PDF), U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. You cannot deduct any moving expenses covered by reimbursements from your employer that are excluded from your income.

Additional Information

For more information on deductible and nondeductible moving expenses and information on moves between locations in and outside the United States, refer to Publication 521, Moving Expenses.

If you found that helpful, you may also find these links helpful...

Here are some more helpful hints to reduce your relocation cost

Find the best DC apartment Mover for you

Read More

Best time to Move

The best time to move is truly when everyone else isn't.  You can save yourself a ton of time money and frustration by being flexible with your move date and moving when most other people are not.  

Unfortunately for us movers, people love moving on some of the best days of the week, Friday Saturday and Sunday.  This means we are almost always busy Friday Saturday and Sunday.  Saturday by far is the most common day of the week people want to move.  This means that movers are busy, trucks are reserved, elevators are booked, and rates can be more expensive.  We actually offer our cheapest rates between Monday thru Thursday.

Best time to move 

Another very busy time for movers is at the very end and very beginning of the month.  People move when their lease is up, which for some reason, tends to always be at the end of the month.  Middle of the month during the week is a great time to reserve your move.

If you are extremely flexible, ask the moving company what day soon works best for them.  Moving companies love to fill in gaps during the week where they are slow.  If you're lucky, you may even get a discount ;)

Read More

6 Things You must know before hiring a mover

With hundreds of Moving companies out there, it can get overwhelming trying to pick the right mover for you.  To help you with your decision, we have made a list of what you should know to make the correct decision.

1.Know what type of services you will need.

• Local Moving Services without packing-Most common and least expensive, can be 1 day job, uses non binding contract
• Local Moving Services with packing-More expensive, might need 2 days to complete, uses nonbinding contract
• Long Distance Moving-Uses binding contract, includes a stop that is at least 2 hours outside of DC MD or Va.
• Labor Only-No truck needed, includes loading unloading and inner hourse or apartment moving

2. Know Moving Terms-

• Intrastate Moving vs. Interstate Moving
• Non-bing Estimate vs. Binding Estimate

3. Read the Frequently Asked Questions page-

• You may not think you have a question, but after you read these FAQ's you'll be much better prepared. 
• Do not ever hesitate to contact your mover if you have any questions.  We are here to keep you in the know, and create a pleasant smooth move.  Best way to contact us is by email.

4. Understand what they are charging you so you can keep your costs low

• If the company offers you a nonbinding estimate, it will usually be based on the amount of total time the move takes.
• If the company charges you a binding estimate, this require you to disclose all details of your contents in order to get a charged correctly.

5.Read other Customers Reviews

• If you don't see any reviews, that is a red flag!
• Do not judge the moving company from one or 2 reviews, look at there overall rating and overall to get an idea about the business.

Read More

Licensed and Insured

Always Hire Fully Insured Movers. 

Mic’s Moving is fully licensed and insured.  We are complaint with all DC MD and Va moving regulations with a USDOT number and MC number.  Always check to see if your company is following regulations before you hire them.  You can search the company by name here.

Our insurance covers:

• Auto insurance 
• Cargo insurance 
• General liability insurance 
• Workman's compensation insurance 

This is a large expense for our business but extremely necessary. Always make sure the moving company you hire is licensed and insured.

Please contact us if you have any additional questions.

Mic's Moving
Phone: (301)257-0111
Email: info@MicsMoving.com
Online Estimate: Free Online stimates

Read More

Mic's Moving FAQs

Are you insured and licensed?

Yes, we are fully licensed and insured. We carry general liability insurance, workers compensation, auto insurance and cargo insurance. This is a large expense for our business but extremely necessary. Always make sure the moving company you hire is licensed and insured.

When should I schedule my move?

Scheduling 3 weeks in advance is always a good rule of thumb to ensure your move is reserved for the exact date and time that you want. FYI Saturdays and the 3 days of the month tend to get booked the fastest.  We do not have any cancellation fees if you need to change your date or cancel, so don’t worry about scheduling early.  There are time when we help customers with last minutes move requests, so do not hesitate to ask.

Temporary Reserved Parking Permit?

We usually tell our customers to use their best judgment whether or not it is necessary to reserve a temporary parking permit. There are times where the move lasted longer than necessary due to the fact we had to park far away from the apartment/house.

Here are a few links that should point you in the right direction as to how to reserve parking.

DC Parking Reservation Link-
Arlington Va Parking reservation link-
Alexandria Parking Reservation Link-


Reserving elevators?
Make sure you reserve any available loading docks or elevators. If there is no loading dock, ask the building manager where movers usually park their truck while moving.   It is important to reserve these well in advance of your move because they get booked quickly.

What are your rates?

Our rates are simple and easy to understand. For all local moves we charge an hourly rate and a flat fee. Our rates are extremely competitive in the moving industry and we are happy to give you a free moving estimate tailored to your specific needs. When you submit a move request, we will reply promptly with the recommended number of movers, and the estimated time and estimated total cost for your move. You may find other movers who give cheaper rates but are not fully licensed and insured, tack on extra fees, and do not employ a fairly compensated crew.

When do you start the clock?

We start the clock when we arrive at your pickup location. We stop the clock when you are satisfied with the placement of all your items at the destination.  The clock is not running while we are headed from our office to your pickup location.

Do you offer packing Services?

We now offer packing services to go along with our moving services. Go to our move request page and fill out the form and be sure to explain in the description of what items you would like us to pack.  Here is a link to give you more description of our packing services.

What happens if something gets damaged?

We do our best to make sure most if not all of your furniture is covered by moving blankets and then wrapped in our movers stretch wrap. This is a great way we protect your items from any bumps or scratches but accidents do happen. If there is damage to one or more of your items, we use the standard moving valuation, which covers $.60 per pound per item damaged. At this time we do not offer any additional valuation insurance. If you are interested in protecting you items further, we recommend talking to your insurance representative about renters or home owners insurance. Their policies cover any damages to items while being moved and they are drastically cheaper than any additional insurance a moving company can offer you.

Is there an hourly minimum?

Yes. We have a two-hour minimum.

Do I need to pay a deposit?

No. We understand that plans change and simply do not want to penalize customers for rescheduling or cancelling. We do of course appreciate as much notice as possible when making changes. Your advanced notice makes it easier for you to get the new date you want and will allow us to release your old reservations to wait listed customers.

What kinds of payment do you accept?

We accept cash or checks at the completion of your move.  We do not accept credit cards at this time

Do I need to remove items inside my dresser drawers?

Removing the items from your dresser is usually the best option, especially if we need to take it around tight corners, or take it up or down stairs. If you think your dresser isn’t exactly structurally sound like many Ikea pieces, we recommend taking the items out. We will blanket and wrap the dressers to protect it and to prevent drawers from falling out.

Do you move pianos or pool tables?

No, at this time we believe it is too much of a liability for us to move pianos. As for pool tables, we strongly recommend calling a professional pool table company to disassemble and reassemble the table. Once the disassemble is complete, we are more than happy to relocate it for you.

What if my moving crew goes above or below the estimated time on my quote?

We are pretty good at estimating how much time your move is going to take, so it is very important to be as detailed as possible in the move request form. There are cases where the estimated time goes beyond the high end estimate because of unusually long walks or long walks, elevator difficulty, lack of proper packing, or not disclosing full list of items and or details. When this occurs we will have to charge for the full amount of moving time spent on the job.  When our moving crew is finished, your crew leader, will pro-rate your hourly cost to the closest minute after the 2 hour minimum has been met.

What is the standard tip for movers?

We compensate our movers well, so tipping is not required but very much appreciated. We are very grateful when we do receive a tip. If you think your movers did a great job, tips are always the best way to show it. The average tip is $5-10 per hour, per mover.


Mic's Moving
Online Estimate: Free Online stimates

Read More