Tax Time to Report Finds as Income

Tom_in_CA

Gold Member
Mar 23, 2007
13,837
10,360
Salinas, CA
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
Explorer II, Compass 77b, Tesoro shadow X2
Should you?
Do you?

Clad stabbin' at the tot lot is taxable income.

Just throwing that out there as I prepare to prepare my own taxes, lol.

Well yes, certainly, of course. We abide by the "MD'rs code of ethics" after all, which says to "Know and Obey all laws".

The md'r who reports his earnings on his income taxes, can also deduct for his expenses . Equipment, gas , etc.....
 

DeepseekerADS

Gold Member
Mar 3, 2013
14,880
21,725
SW, VA - Bull Mountain
Detector(s) used
CTX, Excal II, EQ800, Fisher 1260X, Tesoro Royal Sabre, Tejon, Garrett ADSIII, Carrot, Stealth 920iX, Keene A52
Primary Interest:
Other
Tom, you come up with some great advice frequently! Thank you!
 

Oddjob

Silver Member
Aug 23, 2012
4,348
9,067
Detector(s) used
RD1000, GSSI Profiler EMP-400. GPZ 14 & 19
Primary Interest:
Other
I file my taxes properly and legally, well my attorney does it for me, but all is reported.
 

OP
OP
Deft Tones

Deft Tones

Bronze Member
Mar 24, 2016
1,547
2,352
Hawkeye State - Area 515
Detector(s) used
Whites V3i, XP Deus, Minelab Sovereign GT, Garrett AT Pro, Whites TRX (2), Predator Raven, Predator Raptor, Lesche Sampson
Primary Interest:
Other
I file my taxes properly and legally, well my attorney does it for me, but all is reported.

I have an accountant that does it all, but she won't let me dump a box of reciepts in her lap. I guess she has limits. :laughing7:
 

OP
OP
Deft Tones

Deft Tones

Bronze Member
Mar 24, 2016
1,547
2,352
Hawkeye State - Area 515
Detector(s) used
Whites V3i, XP Deus, Minelab Sovereign GT, Garrett AT Pro, Whites TRX (2), Predator Raven, Predator Raptor, Lesche Sampson
Primary Interest:
Other
Well yes, certainly, of course. We abide by the "MD'rs code of ethics" after all, which says to "Know and Obey all laws".

The md'r who reports his earnings on his income taxes, can also deduct for his expenses . Equipment, gas , etc.....

Excellent!

Ya know, I pay my 5 yr old a quarter for every book he reads. He's not home schooled, but I'm wanting a home school deduction! If not I'm going to have to renegotiate his terms before I go broke. :laughing9:
 

Tom_in_CA

Gold Member
Mar 23, 2007
13,837
10,360
Salinas, CA
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
Explorer II, Compass 77b, Tesoro shadow X2
Does anyone here remember the Odd couple sitcom episode, where Felix (the neat-nick) tell Oscar how he reported the 10c, that he found in the pay-phone coin-return slot, to his income tax filings :)
 

kcm

Gold Member
Feb 29, 2016
5,790
7,085
NW Minnesota
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Silver uMax
Primary Interest:
Other
Does anyone here remember the Odd couple sitcom episode, where Felix (the neat-nick) tell Oscar how he reported the 10c, that he found in the pay-phone coin-return slot, to his income tax filings :)
Man, I barely remember that show! ...Would be cool to see some of it again. Might have to look up the DVD set.....AFTER Christmas! 8-)
 

Limitool

Gold Member
Jun 9, 2013
5,266
6,817
Middle TN. area
Detector(s) used
White XLT Spectrum E-Series
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Well now.... Unless I can retail these old horseshoes for $50.00 each nothing to report.

BUT.... I did screw up a few years ago. I won a couple of jackpots on a quarter slot in MS. a few years ago in Feb. Won $1800.00 and then a few minutes later won $1200.00. Staff came out paid me minus their state taxes and said I'd have to file this upon Federal taxes. Hell one year later that $3 grand was a long lost thought. But in Aug. of that next tax year I got a reminder from the Feds. Wife got mail and said we owe a few hundred... "What do you want me to do?" PAY THEM...!!!!!!!! Stupid on my part.
 

hvacker

Bronze Member
Aug 18, 2012
2,357
1,904
New Mexico USA
Detector(s) used
My Head
Primary Interest:
Other
On a positive side concerning money found if it's not the clad crap you only need to declare it's face value not actual
like silver.
Deductions are a whole other deal. They are intended to offset what your spent to earn what you earned ( see schedule "C") as in a business. It won't apply unless detecting is what you do to make a living. In that case you have 5 years to turn a profit otherwise it's viewed as a hobby.
Hobby expenses are not deductible.
Not sure if scavenging would be recognized as a viable business. Maybe on a larger scale.
Anyway it goes as the IRS is concerned all income is taxable unless you qualify as a Non-profit

This is kind of funny as many people would rationalize that it's none of the IRS's business what I found.
 

masterjedi

Bronze Member
May 24, 2014
1,757
1,349
Oregon
Detector(s) used
Minelab's CTX 3030, E-Trac & EQ800, Fisher F75LTD SE & F44, Whites MXT All PRO, Whites TRX Pointer & Shovel, Predator Tools Raptor hand digger & Ranger shovel. Grey Ghost Ultimate headphones.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
LOL LOL LOL nuff said! :)
 

kcm

Gold Member
Feb 29, 2016
5,790
7,085
NW Minnesota
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Silver uMax
Primary Interest:
Other
On a positive side concerning money found if it's not the clad crap you only need to declare it's face value not actual
like silver.
Deductions are a whole other deal. They are intended to offset what your spent to earn what you earned ( see schedule "C") as in a business. It won't apply unless detecting is what you do to make a living. In that case you have 5 years to turn a profit otherwise it's viewed as a hobby.
Hobby expenses are not deductible.
Not sure if scavenging would be recognized as a viable business. Maybe on a larger scale.
Anyway it goes as the IRS is concerned all income is taxable unless you qualify as a Non-profit

This is kind of funny as many people would rationalize that it's none of the IRS's business what I found.
Depends on whether you keep what you find (including giving as a gift), or profiting from your finds.
 

Honest Samuel

Banned
Sep 23, 2015
8,814
4,969
Connecticut
Detector(s) used
Minelab
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
For sure, if you find buried treasures, you pay your state and federal income taxes. Connecticut has a state income tax which is outrages. Finding single coins that is not worth much, forget about it, because your expenses may be more then what you find. Good hunting and good luck.
 

relic nut

Silver Member
Nov 29, 2014
4,000
7,275
VA
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX 3030 TELEKINETICS 4000 GARRET AT PRO
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
My detecters and equipment are tax deductible. They were purchased through my business to locate property corners, underground utilities, distribution boxes and the like. I do take them out on weekends some just to stay proficient with them.[emoji12]

HH RN
 

boogeyman

Gold Member
Jun 6, 2006
5,016
4,399
Out in the hills near wherendaheckarwe
Detector(s) used
WHITES, MINELAB, Garrett
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
For sure, if you find buried treasures, you pay your state and federal income taxes. Connecticut has a state income tax which is outrages. Finding single coins that is not worth much, forget about it, because your expenses may be more then what you find. Good hunting and good luck.
It was a joke Sam.................
 

FreeBirdTim

Silver Member
Sep 24, 2013
3,786
6,776
Scituate, RI
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I'm self-employed as a metal detectorist. I pay myself a reasonable $10.00 an hour, but I rarely find more than $3.00 an hour. Therefore, my business has incurred a net loss, so no need to file an income tax return...
 

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