Community Forums

CalRed · 02-14-2006, 10:09 AM

I am now recruiting campground hosts for the Hoosier National Forest in Indiana.

Full Hook-up sites (some w/telephone) are provided, free laundry facilities and free high speed Internet (WiFi). Lots of social functions for hosts and promise of a great time. Contact me via e-mail or PM for more details.

CalRed · 02-14-2006, 10:09 AM

I am now recruiting campground hosts for the Hoosier National Forest in Indiana.

Full Hook-up sites (some w/telephone) are provided, free laundry facilities and free high speed Internet (WiFi). Lots of social functions for hosts and promise of a great time. Contact me via e-mail or PM for more details.

Texas Bubba · 02-15-2006, 04:45 PM

Are these volunteer hosts?????

CalRed · 02-15-2006, 06:54 PM

Let's say they are trading a little work for their site. We want to comply with all tax and Worker's Comp laws.

Gary RVRoamer · 02-17-2006, 05:40 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Let's say they are trading a little work for their site. We want to comply with all tax and Worker's Comp laws. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Your statement makes the value of the site taxable, since you just defined a barter payment for work. You would also comply if you designated the position as "volunteer" and give free sites to volunteers, but under that definition the value of the site would be non-taxable. Your choice of wording can make a difference tax-wise.

CalRed · 02-17-2006, 07:16 AM

There is a great deal of difference in "bartering" for something and trading your time for your site. IRS publication 526 and to a certain extent 525 exempts a campground host from tax liabilities for this type service. They require that the time spent as a host must be an equivalent of less than minimum wage when compared to the value of all benefits received.

Since campground hosts are "on call" most of the time they are there, this requirement is moot. Trading time for these type services are not "bartering". To barter you have to establish a certain amount of work for a certain return. This isn't done in hosting.

However if the Permitee wants to cover their hosts with worker's compensation insurance there are certain other things that must be stated. You can say they are "working" for their site and services" or "trading their time " for their site and services. This allows you to cover them. If they are strictly a "volunteer" insurance companies will not cover them with Worker's Comp. Past experience has proven that to me.

Since you must have a contract either way, it all depends on how the contract is written.

Now if you are actually exchanging money with a host, then that host becomes an employee in the general sense of the word and their earnings are subject to taxation.

Of course the rules are still different if you are a non-profit group as we are.

Gary RVRoamer · 02-18-2006, 05:23 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Since campground hosts are "on call" most of the time they are there, this requirement is moot. Trading time for these type services are not "bartering". To barter you have to establish a certain amount of work for a certain return. This isn't done in hosting. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

NOW you are talking! There are a couple things that can make the value of the campsite non-taxable and being "on call" as a requirement of the job is the foremost of them. Thanks for documenting that point.