Tax Alerts

The six most overlooked tax deductions

Who among us wants to pay the IRS more taxes than we have to?

While few may raise their hands, Americans regularly overpay because they fail to take tax deductions for which they are eligible. Let’s take a quick look at the six most overlooked opportunities to manage your tax bill.

  1. Reinvested Dividends: When your mutual fund pays you a dividend or capital gains distribution, that income is a taxable event (unless the fund is held in a tax-deferred account, like an IRA). If you’re like most fund owners, you reinvest these payments in additional shares of the fund. The tax trap lurks when you sell your mutual fund. If you fail to add the reinvested amounts back into the investment’s cost basis, it can result in double taxation of those dividends.2Mutual funds are sold only by prospectus. Please consider the charges, risks, expenses, and investment objectives carefully before investing. A prospectus containing this and other information about the investment company can be obtained from your financial professional. Read it carefully before you invest or send money.

     

  2. Job Hunting Costs: A tough job market may mean you are looking far and wide for employment. The costs of that search—transportation, food and lodging for overnight stays, cab fares, personal car use and even printing resumes—may be considered tax-deductible expenses, provided the search is not for your first job.
  3. Out-of-Pocket Charity: It’s not just cash donations that are deductible. If you donate goods or use your personal car for charitable work, these are potential tax deductions. Just be sure to get a receipt for any amount over $250.

Read the complete article posted on our sister website Dugan & Lopatka Wealth Management.  Or, contact a Dugan & Lopatka CPA professional at (630) 665-4440 or info@duganlopatka.com.

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