12 Common Tax Write-Offs You Can Deduct From Your Taxes – Forbes Advisor

Taxpayers can take advantage of numerous deductions and credits on their taxes each year that can help them pay a lower amount of taxes—or receive a refund from the IRS.

You may be able to claim the following 12 common write-offs, which include both tax credits and deductions. Additionally, you may be entitled to write-offs on your state taxes, so check your state tax department’s website to see if you qualify.

1. Property Taxes

Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, deductible state and local income taxes (SALT), including property taxes, are capped at $10,000.

The limit is scheduled to last through the 2025 tax year, unless Congress extends it.

2. Mortgage Interest

The interest you pay for your mortgage can be deducted from your taxes. The write-off is limited to interest on up to $750,000 ($375,000 for married-filing-separately taxpayers) of mortgage debt incurred after December 15, 2017.

If you got your mortgage before December 16, 2017, you can deduct interest on up to $1 million ($500,000 for married taxpayers who are filing separately).

3. State Taxes Paid

Again, you can deduct state income taxes that are paid, but the write-off is capped at $10,000 for all deductible state and local taxes.

4. Homeowner Deductions

You can deduct mortgage interest and real estate taxes that you pay during the year for your home.

5. Charitable Contributions

Generally, you can deduct charitable contributions of cash totaling up to 60% of your adjusted gross income, or AGI. Donations of items or property also are considered deductible charitable contributions.

6. Medical Expenses

Medical and dental expenses qualify for a tax deduction, though you can deduct only the costs that exceed 7.5% of your AGI.

To claim medical-related expenses on your 2023 tax return—which you’ll file in April 2024—the expenses must have been paid in 2023, unless they were charged to a credit card. In those cases, you can deduct the expenses in the year you charged the card, not necessarily the year in which you repaid them.

Trips to your doctor’s office or hospital appointments qualify for medical mileage. For 2023, you can deduct 22 cents a mile for travel you made for medical purposes.

7. Lifetime Learning Credit Education Credits

The lifetime learning credit allows people to claim a tax credit for taking classes at a community college, university or other higher education institution. The maximum amount of expenses you can deduct is up to $10,000 for an unlimited number of years. However, the top credit you can receive per tax return is worth $2,000.

The credit allows for a dollar-for-dollar reduction on the amount of taxes owed. The expenses can include tuition, fee payments and required books or supplies for post-secondary education for yourself, spouse or dependent child. The credit isn’t refundable, which means it can be used to pay any taxes you owe, but you can’t receive any of it as a refund.

The amount of your credit depends on your income. You should check IRS Publication 170 to determine the income qualifications.

Note: This credit can’t be claimed in the same year as the American opportunity tax credit using the same expenses.

8. American Opportunity Tax Education Credit

The American opportunity tax credit offers a tax break for the first four years of higher education. The maximum annual credit is $2,500 per eligible student. If the amount of taxes you owe is zero because of this credit, the IRS says 40% of any remaining amount of the credit (a maximum of $1,000) can be refunded to you.

The credit is worth 100% of the first $2,000 of qualified education expenses paid for each eligible student and 25% of the next $2,000 of qualified education expenses.

“If you, your spouse, or child are in school, make sure to look deeper into education credits,” says Daniel Fan, managing director and head of wealth planning at First Foundation Advisors, an Irvine, California-based financial institution. “For students who are in the first four years of college, this credit could provide greater tax savings than the lifetime learning credit.”

Qualifying expenses include tuition, fee payments and required books or supplies for post-secondary education for yourself, spouse or dependent child.

The amount of your credit is determined by your income. This credit can’t be claimed in the same year the lifetime learning credit is claimed.

9. Retirement Credits

The contributions you make to a retirement plan such as a 401(k) or a traditional or Roth IRA give you a tax credit of 50%, 20% or 10%, depending on your AGI that you report on Form 1040. Any rollover contributions do not qualify for the credit.

The maximum contribution amount that qualifies for the credit is $2,000 ($4,000 if married filing jointly), making the maximum possible credit $1,000 ($2,000 if married filing jointly). The IRS has a chart to help calculate your credit.

10. IRA Contributions

The maximum contribution for 2023 in a traditional or Roth IRA is $6,500, plus another $1,000 for people who are 50 years old or more. Your contributions to a traditional IRA are tax-deductible.

The amount increases to $7,000 for contributions during 2024, but there’s no change in the catch-up amount for people aged 50 and older.

11. Self-Employed Health Care Premiums

If you’re self-employed, you can deduct 100% of the health insurance premiums you pay monthly for yourself, your spouse and your dependents, whether or not you itemize deductions, says Robert Charron, a CPA in charge of the tax department at Friedman, a New York-based accounting firm.

If you have kids under 27 at the end of 2023, you can also deduct their premiums—even if they aren’t dependents.

However, you can’t claim this deduction if you’re eligible to participate in a subsidized health plan from an employer for yourself, your spouse, dependents or kids under 27.

12. Student Loan Interest

Student loan interest can be written off your taxes, but the maximum interest you can deduct is $2,500. The amount you may write off depends on your income. Review IRS Publication 970 for more information.

What Is the Standard Deduction?

The standard deduction is an automatic deduction from your taxable income that you can receive without any itemizing.

Before deciding to claim the standard deduction, it’s a good idea to compare your standard deduction amount with your total itemized deductions.

For the 2023 tax year (meaning the taxes you’ll file in 2024), the standard deduction amounts are: :

• $13,850 for single and married filing separate taxpayers
• $20,800 for head of household taxpayers
• $27,700 for married taxpayers filing jointly or qualifying widow(er)s

Tips for Writing Off Your Expenses and Charitable Contributions

Keeping a good record of your income and deductible expenses in a spreadsheet throughout the year can make filing taxes a lot quicker and easier.

“Preparing and organizing everything for your taxes can seem like a daunting task, but a lot of people come across the same common mistakes,” Fan says. “Don’t forget to always include all sources of income, make sure you are looking for and including all possible deductions, and understand the difference between a deduction and a credit.”

Some common mistakes people make include:

• Not listing all income
• Not accounting for all possible deductions
• Not taking advantage of contributions to retirement accounts to increase tax-deductible contributions.

If you are filing taxes with several deductions, start by gathering all the appropriate paperwork, such as Form 1098 for mortgage interest rate deductions. For other deductions, which are based on expenses or contributions, keep accurate records.

“If you itemize your deductions, then keep track of qualified medical expenses, charitable contributions made, or any other deductions which can be itemized,” says Fan. “If you are likely to take the standard deduction, then record keeping will not be as important.”