Exactly where to Deduct Tax Preparation Costs

Exactly where should really an person taxpayer deduct tax preparation charges? The apparent answer could possibly be on Schedule A of Kind 1040 as a miscellaneous deduction. Are tax preparation charges deductible only on Schedule A for all taxpayers? Fortunately, the answer is no.

Deducting tax preparation charges on Schedule A will provide tiny or no advantage for most taxpayers because the total miscellaneous deductions have to exceed two % of the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income to provide any advantage. In addition, the taxpayer’s total itemized deductions will have to typically exceed the standard deduction amount to supply any tax advantage.

The IRS ruled in Rev. Rul. 92-29 that taxpayers may perhaps deduct tax preparation charges connected to a business, a farm, or rental and royalty revenue on the schedules where the taxpayer reports such earnings.

A taxpayer who is self-employed may perhaps deduct the portion of the tax preparation fees related to the organization, including schedules such as depreciation schedules, on Schedule C of Kind 1040 as a organization expense. The tax preparation charges deducted on Schedule C save the taxpayer revenue tax and self-employment tax.

A taxpayer who is self-employed as a farmer would deduct the portion of the tax preparation fees related to the farm on Schedule F of Type 1040. The tax preparation charges deducted on Schedule F save the taxpayer income tax and self-employment tax.

A taxpayer who has rental and/or royalty income reported on Schedule E of Form 1040 would deduct the portion of the tax preparation fees related to the rental and/or royalty income on Schedule E. The tax preparation charges deducted on Schedule E save the taxpayer revenue tax. Having said that, the tax preparation costs deducted on Schedule E do not save the taxpayer any self-employment tax because the rental and/or royalty income reported on Schedule E is not topic to self-employment tax.

A taxpayer could not deduct all of the tax preparation costs on Schedules C, E, and F of Kind 1040. The tax preparer should provide a statement to the taxpayer that indicates how significantly of the tax preparation charge was associated to the taxpayer’s business, farm, and/or rental and/or royalty revenue. The taxpayer may deduct the remainder of the tax preparation charge only on Schedule A.

If the tax preparer does not provide the taxpayer with a detailed statement displaying how substantially of the tax preparation charge was for the taxpayer’s small business, farm, and/or rental and/or royalty earnings, the taxpayer shoud ask the tax preparer for an itemized statement. If the tax preparer will not give an itemized statement, the taxpayer should really use a reasonable allocation. In that case, the taxpayer ought to seriously take into account making use of a distinctive tax preparer subsequent year.

Here is an example. Assume that the taxpayer is self-employed and also owns rental genuine estate. The tax preparation charge for the taxpayer’s Form 1040 and related schedules for 2005 was $600. individual income tax return Banning CA that of the $600 total fee, $300 was associated to the taxpayer’s organization, $200 was related to the rental true estate, and the remainng $100 was connected to other parts of the taxpayer’s income tax return. The taxpayer paid the $600 in February 2006.

On the taxpayer’s revenue tax return for 2006, the taxpayer may perhaps deduct the $600 tax preparation charge as follows: $300 on Schedule C, $200 on Schedule E, and $100 on Schedule A as a miscellaneous deduction.