Masonry Magazine June 1985 Page. 20
Beam pockets that once held wooden support beams.
19th CENTURY BUILDING
continued
as exterior and interior facing walls and, in conjunction with the wooden floor beams, as the actual structural support.
Site logistics posed a challenge for the general contractor, project manager Robinson points out. "Fifty-ninth Street is busy and narrow. And the building itself is only 50 feet wide. When you take into account the wall thickness and the stairwell, we were left with an opening of only 30 feet."
The building's modest floor layout made material storage next to impossible. Consequently materials were scheduled to arrive only as needed.
Meanwhile, the burning question remains: what happened to the New York Playboy Club Bunnies? Not to worry. The club moved to a hotel nearby.
Deducting Expenses from the "Working" Vacation
A business trip-whether to drop in on a customer, visit a production facility, or attend a convention or sales meeting is often a good opportunity to combine work with a short vacation. Many businesspersons who are taking such trips are unclear, however, as to which expenses incurred during the working vacation are tax deductible and which are not.
According to Alan E. Weiner, tax partner in Holtz Rubenstein & Co., one of Long Island's (N.Y.) largest independent accounting firms, the Internal Revenue Service uses specific criteria to judge which expenses are allowable as deductions. The basic standard by which working vacations are judged by the IRS is the "primary purpose" test, says Weiner. The rule simply states that the primary purpose of the trip must be business, not pleasure, and that at least half the time spent in a given city be business related.
A key phrase that businesspersons should remember when they plan to claim deductions for this type of trip is "R and R"-records and receipts, Weiner says. It is vital to keep a diary of your business activities during the working vacation, stating where you went, whom you spoke with, and what your conversations were about. And, of course, you should keep all business-related receipts. The IRS may ask you to produce these to substantiate claims.
Here are some examples of typical working vacation expenses that can be deducted by you and, in some cases, your spouse:
* Transportation to and from the city of a business meeting or convention is always deductible. This not only includes plane, train and bus fare, but also taxi and limousine expenses to and within the city where your business is being conducted. Fares for your spouse, however, are not deductible unless he or she is legitimately involved in the business being conducted. When a personal car is driven by the business person to the city of business, the IRS allows for a deduction of 20% per mile whether or not the spouse is a passenger in the car. If a rental car is used for business, the cost is deductible.
* Lodging and food are fully deductible for the businessperson on a working vacation. While a spouse's lodging and meals are not deductible, you may deduct the single-room rate which is often nearly equal to that of a double room.
* The IRS considers meetings with clients, customers and business associates as allowable expenses if there is a "general" business reason for the get-together. Thus, entertainment such as a sporting event, show, or even a night on the town can be deducted as long as business is discussed. As for your spouse, entertainment expenses are not deductible. However, the cost of the taxi ride to and from the theatre, for example, is fully deductible even if the spouse is a passenger.
Weiner suggests that, when in doubt, businesspersons on working vacations should save every receipt that could lead to a deduction and present them to his or her accountant.