Adjustments are certain expenses which can directly reduce your total taxable income. These items are not included as Itemized Deductions and can be entered independently.
Medical Savings Account
The medical savings account deduction (Form 8853) is used by taxpayers to:
- Report Archer MSA contributions (including employer contributions)
- Figure your Archer MSA deduction
- Report distributions from Archer MSA's or Medicare Advantage MSA's
- Report taxable payments from long-term care (LTC) insurance contracts
- Report taxable accelerated death benefits from a life insurance policy
For additional information about this deduction, please refer to Form 8853 Instructions.
Educator Expense Deduction
If you are an educator, you may be able to deduct up to $300 of expenses you paid for purchases of books and classroom supplies for 2024 tax year, even if you do not itemize your deductions, according to the IRS. These out-of-pocket expenses may lower your 2024 tax bill. If married and file a joint return with another eligible educator, the limit rises to $600. But in this situation, not more than $300 for each spouse. Expenses incurred any time this year may qualify for the deduction. The deduction is available if you are an eligible educator in a public or private elementary or secondary school. To be eligible, you must work at least 900 hours during a school year as a teacher, instructor, counselor, principal or aide.
For additional information about this deduction, please Click here.
Reservists' Expenses
If you are a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces and you travel more than 100 miles away from home in connection with your performance of services as a member of the reserves, you can deduct your travel expenses as an adjustment to income rather than as a miscellaneous itemized deduction. The deduction is limited to the amount the federal government pays its employees for travel expenses.
For additional information about this, please Click here.
Health Savings Account
Beginning in 2012, you can no longer make a qualified HSA distribution. A qualified HSA distribution is a one-time distribution from a health flexible spending arrangement (FSA) or health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) that is contributed by your employer directly to your HSA.
Taxpayers can claim this deduction to:
- Report health savings account (HSA) contributions (including those made on your behalf and employer contributions).
- Figure your HSA deduction,
- Report distributions from HSA's, and
- Figure amounts you must include in income and additional tax you may owe if you fail to be an eligible individual.
For additional information and to see who is eligible to file Form 8889, please Click here.
Moving Expenses
Beginning for the 2018 tax year, except for Military, individuals can no longer deduct moving expenses or exclude moving expense reimbursements from their employers for their income.
For additional information about moving expenses, please see IRS Publication 521.
Keogh Retirement Plan
A qualified employer plan set up by a self-employed individual is sometimes called a Keogh or HR-10 plan. A sole proprietor or partnership can establish a Keogh plan.
For additional information about this plan, please see IRS Publication 560.
Self-Employed Health Insurance Deduction
You may be able to deduct the amount you paid for health insurance for yourself, your spouse, and your dependents if any of the following applies:
- You were self-employed and you had a net profit for the year
- You used one of the optional methods to figure your net earnings from self-employment on Schedule SE
- You received wages in 2020 from an S Corporation in which you were a more-than-2% shareholder
Health insurance benefits paid for you may be shown in Form W-2, box 14. For more details see IRS Pub. 535 on the IRS website.
Penalty on Early Withdrawal of Savings or CD (Certificate of Deposit)
The Form 1099-INT or Form 1099-OID you received will show the amount of any penalty you were charged.
Please see IRS Publication 550 for additional information.
Alimony Paid
You may deduct the alimony or separate maintenance payments you are required to make to your spouse or former spouse, or to a third party on behalf of that spouse. More information on alimony, including rules for divorces and separations before 1985 and recapture rules, is available in IRS Publication 504 on the IRS website.
IRA Deduction
If you made contributions to a traditional IRA, you may be able to take an IRA deduction. However, if you and your spouse are filing a joint return, you must report earned income to claim the deduction. For additional information pertaining to an IRA Deduction, please see Publication 590-A.
Nondeductible IRAs (Form 8606)
File Form 8606 if any of the following apply.
- If you made nondeductible contributions to a traditional IRA for 2024
- You received distributions from a traditional, SEP or Simple IRA in 2024 and you made nondeductible contributions to a traditional IRA in 2024 or an earlier year. For this purpose, a distribution does not include a rollover, qualified charitable distributions, one-time distribution to fund an HSA, conversion, recharacterization, or return of certain contributions.
- If you converted part, but not all, of your traditional, SEP, and SIMPLE IRAs to Roth IRAs in 2024 (excluding any portion you recharacterized) and you made nondeductible contributions to a traditional IRA in 2024 or an earlier year.
Click here for further information.
Student Loan Interest Deduction
The maximum deductible interest on a qualified student loan is $2,500 per return. There is no deduction if you file as married filing separately. For more information Click here.
Other Adjustments
Other Adjustments include Trade Readjustment Allowance, Jury Pay, Section 501(c)(18) Plan and Personal Property Rental Expenses, Certain Attorney Fees, etc.