SilverSquare OP t1_j6ld9ms wrote
Reply to comment by [deleted] in Are commuter benefits worth it despite working remotely? I still take public transportation. by SilverSquare
Appreciate the answers, y’all. I’m definitely learning a lot. How would this be something interpreted as a remote worker? Would a bus ride to a local coffee shop to work be fine? Would getting things like office supplies/coffee to make my “work environment” better be fine? Would I have to keep a log of my travels? I’m not hiding the fact that I am remote as I transitioned from working in office, representing a specific location to now declaring being a full on remote worker.
Asking because I was wondering if you have clarification on what would be determined legal for remote workers? Also legit asking for context as I’m just learning about this and not at all to circumvent or loophole this. It seems like a gray area, but also uncertain since remote work existed before the pandemic.
If I went through this process, I’d get a physical card sent to me and the purchase would be for a physical transit pass that would be periodically loaded as needed, so the only charge would be on that commuter card while my transit pass is the one getting used for commuting.
It seems like it’s one of those things that I shouldn’t be too concerned about in terms of enforcement, but also I feel like I’ll play it safe. Either way, I can still load a minuscule amount for the few times I do meet up for work at a co-working space and $5-$10/month would help cover those rare trips while saving some money on tax.
rcc1201 t1_j6lqj6b wrote
A commute is, by definition, travel between one's home and workplace. Your home and workplace are the same, so I doubt you incur any public transit expenses worthy of commuter benefits. A commute does not include workplace errands or travel to locations you'd prefer to work from (if anything, your employer might reimburse you for work-related travel expenses). You could probably make a case for using it to travel to co-working spaces provided by your employer.
But as many people have pointed out, enforcement is an extremely unlikely possibility. And worst case, they're just going to ask you to pay taxes on the benefit. So if you are willing to take that risk, just sign up for/use the benefit.
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