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 IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE:
 To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that statements on this website, that could be construed as federal tax advice, are not intended or written to be used and cannot be used for the purpose of avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or regulations of other  governmental taxing authorities or agencies. Furthermore, this website is not intended or written to support the promotion or marketing of any tax schemes.

 

Date last modified: 10/25/11
 

Expenses that May Qualify
for Itemized Deductions

 To be eligible, the expenses must have been paid in during the tax year.
It takes approximately $1000 in itemized deductions to reduce your taxes $100.

Interest
  • Home Mortgage Interest
  • Home Equity Loan Interest
  • Some Mortgage Refinance Expenses
  • Some Investment Interest Expenses
  • Credit Card, Auto Loan, IRS and State Tax Interest are not deductible

Taxes

  • State/Local Income Taxes
  • Real Estate Taxes
  • Personal Property Taxes
    (part of registration fees for motor homes, campers and travel trailers)
  • Tax penalties are not deductible

Out-of-Your-Pocket Medical (only a portion will be deductible)

  • Doctor/Dentist Fees and Co-pays, includes chiropractic, acupuncture, naturopath, nurse practitioner, etc.
  • Hospital Fees/Co-pays
  • Prescription Drugs
  • Insurance Premiums, including long-term care insurance, paid with after-tax dollars.
  • Lab/X-ray/other medical tests
  • Glasses, Contact Lens, Hearing Aids, Dentures, Medical Equipment, some medical comfort items required for patient care
  • Nursing, Convalescent and Home Care payments when medically necessary
  • Certain tuition costs for children with medically-diagnosed disabilities when the main reason is to overcome the disability.
  • Mileage to and from medical appointments; also parking and tolls. 
  • If you are over 62, Oregon allows a special medical deduction for some taxpayers.

Some Casualty and Theft Losses

  • A portion of the loss not compensated by insurance may be deductible.
  • Stock losses are not a theft loss even if corporate officers are convicted of wrong-doing.  In some cases, worthless securities might be deductible as a capital loss.
  • Considerable documentation is required to support the deduction.
Charitable Contributions
  • Cash and non-cash donations to IRS-recognized non-profit organizations; receipts are required for ALL donations; single gifts valued over $250 must be acknowledged by a letter from the organization.
  • Non-cash gifts may include clothing, household items, merchandise purchased for donation, etc.  The donor must determine a reasonable value for the contribution.   Use this guide to assign values. Ask for a receipt from the receiving organization.  Some high-value items, such as cars, antiques, paintings, jewelry, etc., may require an outside appraisal.
  • Mileage to and from volunteer activities . 
  • Unreimbursed volunteer expenses
  • No deduction for time spent volunteering. Parochial school tuition is not considered a charitable contribution.

Some Political Contributions

  • Tax Credit on Oregon returns only, not federal.  You must have a receipt or letter to verify the contribution.

Miscellaneous Expenses (only a portion will be deductible)

  • Union & Professional Dues
  • Tax Preparation Fees
  • Safe Deposit Box Fees
  • Some Investment Expenses/IRA and Trust administration fees
  • Some Unreimbursed work expenses (overnight travel, uniforms, tools, phone, etc.)
  • Some Job-related Moving Expenses; qualified mileage is deductible.
  • Professional/Trade Expenses (professional journals, conferences, memberships, licensing, etc.)
  • Some Job-seeking Expenses
  • Some Job-related Continuing Education Expenses
  • Gambling Losses to the extent of Gambling Winnings claimed as income.
  • Unreimbursed business mileage Commuting mileage is never deductible.
  • IRS expects you to keep a mileage log to document mileage claims.  Your appointment calendar can be the base for a mileage log.