What do you call those deductible expenses that don’t fit squarely into any other category? The IRS refers to them as “miscellaneous” expenses. If you qualify, you can deduct the excess above 2 percent of your adjusted gross income (AGI) on your 2017 tax return. For instance, if your AGI for 2017 is $100,000 and you incurred $3,000 in miscellaneous expenses, your deduction is $1,000.
Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the miscellaneous expenses deduction is suspended from 2018 through 2025. However, you can still deduct these expenses on your 2017 tax return.
The list of expenses is long and varied, but you can generally break them down into two groups: production-of-income expenses and unreimbursed employee business expenses.
This group includes fees relating to tax and financial planning and assistance. Some common items are as follows:
Tax return tip: The cost of having your 2017 tax return prepared qualifies as a deductible miscellaneous expense.
The second group of miscellaneous expenses consists of unreimbursed employee business expenses. It includes the following items:
The cost of searching for employment may also qualify as a deductible miscellaneous expense, even if you don’t get the job.
This deduction is no longer available in 2018, so take advantage of it now on your 2017 tax return if you can. Questions? Call our office and we can help you.
© MC 2018 | “Tax Tips” are published weekly to provide current tax information, tax-cutting suggestions, and tax reminders. The tax information contained in this site is of a general nature and should not be acted upon in your specific situation without further details and/or professional assistance.
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