Many new travel nurses are looking for someone to travel with.
The fear of loneliness is a large factor in this mindset. Travel nursing with a spouse, a friend, or another family member certainly has its benefits. You will have someone to share the experience with. Someone to explore with on your days off. Someone to have dinner with at that great restaurant you read about.
Housing and Tax Implications
Other than the personal benefits of traveling with someone else, the only other ‘real’ benefit is the housing. This can be confusing as there are multiple ways to handle housing from a tax standpoint.
Joe Smith at Travel Tax addresses some of the different means of traveling with a spouse who is also a travel nurse. According to Joe, there are basically three options available to co-travelers. If you consider travel nursing with a spouse, friend, or other family members, the options are similar.
- Both travelings with the same company, with one taking the stipend and the other taking the housing, would result in the stipend being taxed.
- If both travelers are working with the same company and both taking the stipend, neither would be taxed.
- The last option is if they are traveling with different companies and one takes the stipend, and one takes the housing, again neither one of these is taxable.
Joe further states that the rationale behind these statements is difficult to explain and suggests you contact him for additional information. I would also recommend that if you seek answers to questions about housing and/or taxes that you contact a specialist in traveler taxes.
Finding Contracts
Finding a contract as a couple could be a challenge, but there are multiple options available. I would recommend that you inform your recruiter upfront that you would like to find contracts for both of you. This may result in contracts in the same hospital, on the same unit, or in different hospitals in a metro area. Knowing how you work together as a couple is imperative. Can you work and live day to day with your friend/spouse/travel partner? Do you want to work in the same unit? Same hospital? Knowing in advance what you are looking for will assist your recruiter in finding positions that will meet all of your needs.
Do you travel with a spouse, friend or other family member? How do you handle housing issues?
