Effective with the 2018 tax year, the Tax Cut and Jobs Act (ACT) reduced the allowable deductions for individual taxpayers who itemized their deductions on Schedule A. (Note: If you did not itemize but claimed the standard deduction, the ACT will definitely benefit you). One of the changes that will reduce allowable itemized deductions is the repeal of the 2% miscellaneous tax deduction. These deductions were referred to as the 2% miscellaneous tax deductions because the taxpayer was only allowed a deductions if such deductions exceeded 2% of the reported adjusted gross income (AGI) shown on the taxpayer’s Form 1040.
The typical miscellaneous 2% tax deductions were unreimbursed employee expenses (usually reported on IRS Form 2106), tax preparation fees, depreciation on assets your employer required the employee to purchase, dues to professional societies and chamber of commerce, home office, license fees, malpractice insurance premiums, subscriptions to professional journals and trade magazines, travel, transportation, meals, entertainment, gifts and local lodging related to your work, union dues and expenses, work clothes and uniforms, and work-related education to name a few of these expenses. For a more complete list of such expenses, we suggest you read IRS Publication 529.
If you are a sales person or you incurred significant expenses of this type in prior years, you should speak with your employer about having these expenses reimbursed to you since they are a requirement of your employment and are no longer tax deductible.
If you would like to discuss your business or personal tax planning, tax preparation and other financial concerns with an experienced tax professional, we invite you to call 610-594-2601 today to make an appointment at our Exton PA CPA office to discuss your situation. You can also schedule a consultation at Click Here.
