Federal Tax Deductions

Answer 1

Federal tax deductions are items subtracted from the taxpayer' gross income and are not factored in calculating the income tax of the taxpayer. There are dozens of available deductions for many taxpayers, depending on their income bracket and how their income was used throughout the year. Unlike tax credits, deductions are utilized before the tax is calculated

For example, an individual earns $50,000 per year, and is eligible for a $5,000 IRA tax deduction. The taxable income of the taxpayer is reduced by $5,000 and the tax is calculated on the remaining $45,000 of income.

Because the US tax system is progressive, with higher tax brackets as income increases, the deduction is worth more in real dollars for someone in a higher tax bracket. Thus, the $5,000 deduction is worth $1,250 for someone in the 25% tax bracket ($5,000 X .25 = $1,250) as opposed to a tax savings of $750 for someone in the 15% bracket.

Some federal tax deductions may be taken regardless of other deductions made by the individual, others can only be taken if the individual's total deductions exceed their Standard Deduction. The standard deduction is the minimum deduction allowed for all taxpayers. The IRA deduction, stated above, can be taken by anyone, regardless if they itemize their deductions. Other deductions of this type are student loan interest deductions, alimony paid, contributions to a health savings account and deductions for health insurance premiums by a self employed individual.

Deductions for mortgage interest paid, most state taxes paid charitable deductions, medical expenses exceeding 7.5% of adjusted gross income, theft and casualty losses, and certain job expenses are examples of the latter type of deductions. They are reported on Schedule A. They may only be used if the total of all of the deductions of this type exceed $5,800 for a single taxpayer and $11,600 for married persons filing jointly. Though a person may itemize, if their deductions do not exceed the standard deduction rates, they are better off using the standard deduction.

There are other deductions available to those who qualify. Certain taxpayers may be able to deduct the cost of operating a vehicle when it is used for company business or education expenses for some. Businesses and corporations have many more deductions available. However, these deductions are often geared to the cost of doing business, and attempt to separate gross profit from net profit. Thus, businesses will be able to utilize deductions such as fuel costs, utilities, depreciation, cost of labor, etc. A self employed individual is normally permitted to utilize many of these deductions.