backpackster
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1969 Triple E Comfort 15'
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Post by backpackster on Oct 6, 2015 20:06:16 GMT -8
For me it was somewhere between these two pictures   |
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Post by vikx on Oct 6, 2015 22:37:23 GMT -8
When my neighbors reported me for being in "business"... They are turkeys.
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on Oct 7, 2015 5:13:33 GMT -8
When your nice quiet neighbor, who you never hear from, comes over and says, "I notice you now have three campers. Is this like a business for you?"
The answer, "for me to call it a business I'd have to actually make money."
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Post by bigbill on Oct 7, 2015 5:57:36 GMT -8
The best answer for that is "no the IRS won't allow me to call it a business because a business has to show a profit every so many years".
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Post by vikx on Oct 7, 2015 10:42:30 GMT -8
Believe it or not, our County says I don't have to make money to "be in business". Not only that, if trailers are repaired and then advertised, you are in business... A person can't advertise anywhere at any time or s(he's) in business. Not online, not ever. It's not fair, it's pry not legal, but it's real. I stay under the radar...
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Post by bigbill on Oct 7, 2015 12:22:53 GMT -8
Believe it or not, our County says I don't have to make money to "be in business". Not only that, if trailers are repaired and then advertised, you are in business... A person can't advertise anywhere at any time or s(he's) in business. Not online, not ever. It's not fair, it's pry not legal, but it's real. I stay under the radar... Unless the rules have changed you can only claim a overall business loss for a limited number of years. I guess they figure you would starve to death eventually. Corporations are different. That was part of the reason that a company cars can't be driven home unless you pay taxes on it as income. The exception is if you are on emergency call out 24/7. |
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Post by danrhodes on Oct 7, 2015 12:44:21 GMT -8
Mine was always intended to be a hobby (wife likes to keep me busy)...It just wasn't intended to be a multi-year hobby
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on Oct 7, 2015 17:06:26 GMT -8
Let's see how we could make this work. A corporation now has most of the rights of a human. If someone who does this for fun, then sells the trailer, incorporates, then s/he could cut a deal with the city to eliminate property taxes. Or you could take all those huge profits from trailer restoration and start a PAC, if you do it right, you won't even have to let anyone know your real identity. I'm certain there are other benefits, but none come to mind right now.
OR... You could register yourself as a religion. The amount of devotion some of us show to our trailers probably verges on that anyway. Then you could be tax exempt. Any profit would be reinvested in your trailers, and you could use road trips as testing your work.
Or, if you're very, very lucky and just let yourself get categorized as a business, you can claim a $1 profit every few years. And THAT would be the closest thing to the truth!
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Ten
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70 Shasta 16SC + 1964 Airflyte
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Post by Ten on Oct 7, 2015 17:24:43 GMT -8
I think the better question might be, "when does that hobby become a dangerous obsession?".....
(It's only dangerous when you don't brace the roof.....)
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on Oct 7, 2015 18:48:14 GMT -8
My wife says there is a difference between being fixated and obsessed. Fixated: an obsessive attachment to something. Obsessed: preoccupy or fill the mind of continually, intrusively, and to a troubling extent. When we were driving home with a camper we bought in VT (#2) and halfway home I bought a camper in AL (#3) I may have crossed over to obsessed. I know there are people on this forum who own 5...8...10 campers. Some people actually have a flatbed to tow home rotted campers. They're the obsessed ones.  |
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Post by vikx on Oct 7, 2015 20:54:02 GMT -8
All right...
I have been harping on BE NICE OR BE DELETED. Just because I have 14 doesn't mean I'm obsessed. What's a person to do? They wander in the driveway.
I am not Obsessed, I am not, Not am NOT. Obsessed.
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mobiltec
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I make mistakes so you don't have to...
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1954 Jewel In Progress...
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Post by mobiltec on Oct 14, 2015 11:27:19 GMT -8
Vikx operates a orphanage for old trailers. Old trailers never die. They just end up at Vikx's house. Now me on the other hand, I operate a rescue shelter for old trailers. Non-profit organization for rescuing and finding homes for old trailers. If I ever make a profit on one I'll let you know. Then I suppose it become's a business and I will have to let the IRS in on it. When I sold my Lil' Loafer I made exactly $1.78 on it. Once you take out the gas it took to deliver the trailer 200 miles I think it became a loss. Once you have lost money consistently for 5 years straight the IRS officially calls your "business" a hobby and you are no longer able to use write offs for your "hobby".
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gary350
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We should have gone camping today it is going to snow 6" tonight.
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1964 FAN
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Post by gary350 on Oct 15, 2015 14:53:56 GMT -8
I think you should say, when does this hobby turn into work. You sure do have a mess on your hands. If it were me I would keep the metal, windows, door, toilet, sink, stove, trailer frame, and trash all the wood and start over. It is a lot of extra work to try and salvage a few pieces when 70% is bad. It is much easier to built another one with new lumber hope your took photos and made drawings with dimensions.
Be glad you don't have a busy body neighbor like mine. She calls, city code, police, and fire department on me all the time, some times 3 times a week. Other day I loaded an old sofa on the 2 wheel trailer to haul it away, neighbor called the fire department told them I was burning a sofa in the driveway. Here comes the fire truck with lights flashing and siren going. They been to my house so many times we are friends now, we stood in the driveway and talked for 45 minutes about my nasty neighbor and other nasty neighbors around town. LOL. Yesterday I trimmed bushes and stacked it next to the street, about lunch time police knocked on the door and said, your friendly neighbor complained about the brush pile, we had to come its the rules but every thing looks good so have a good day. LOL.
3 years ago I had a 28 foot trailer parked in the back yard when my friendly neighbor called code. Rules are it can not be parked in the grass, ok to park it in driveway behind the house. It must have an electrical inspection to make sure it is safe, on and on and on with code rules. I got it repaired fast and sold it before my 3 month time limit ran out. Code has been here before too the guy was nice and give me 3 months to get rid of it.
You don't need to report anything to the IRS until you sell something and make a profit.
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Ten
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70 Shasta 16SC + 1964 Airflyte
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Post by Ten on Oct 15, 2015 16:51:31 GMT -8
Be glad you don't have a busy body neighbor like mine. She calls, city code, police, and fire department on me all the time, some times 3 times a week. Other day I loaded an old sofa on the 2 wheel trailer to haul it away, neighbor called the fire department told them I was burning a sofa in the driveway. Here comes the fire truck with lights flashing and siren going. They been to my house so many times we are friends now, we stood in the driveway and talked for 45 minutes about my nasty neighbor and other nasty neighbors around town. LOL. Yesterday I trimmed bushes and stacked it next to the street, about lunch time police knocked on the door and said, your friendly neighbor complained about the brush pile, we had to come its the rules but every thing looks good so have a good day. LOL.
My advice: Next time pile the brush on the neighbor's curb, and YOU call the police dept. |
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Post by vikx on Oct 15, 2015 21:09:29 GMT -8
Gary, believe me, we've been there done that with the Neighbutts. I think Ten is right....
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