Tax Deductions Available for Cancer patients

by | Jan 23, 2021 | Tax Deduction, Tax Deduction Ideas, tax deductions, tax filing, Tax Payers, tax return, tax savings

Tax Deductions Available for Cancer patients A life-threatening disease like cancer can lead to a lot of mental unrest along with a lot of financial responsibilities. If you have a health insurance plan, then it would be helpful in providing cover for some amount of the medical expenses incurred. If you are undergoing any cancer related medical treatment then your health insurance would help in providing cover for the bills incurred. But, in the medical treatment related to these life-threatening diseases there would be some additional expenses which have to be paid by you. Also, cancer patients can avail the benefit of tax breaks on their taxes by the help of their out-of-pocket expenses. Eligibility for tax deductions which are cancer-related If you are able to itemize your tax deductions instead of making claim for Standard Deduction, then you can easily deduct those medical expenses which are related to regular care, medication, diagnosis, hospital stays, etc. if the expenses that have been incurred are more than 7.5% of the Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). Medical-related travels can also be claimed as deduction such as the mileage related to driving to the appointment at the rate of 20 cents per mile as well as travel-related to any seminars. Those taxpayers who are self-employed do not need to itemize their tax deductions for deduction of their health insurance premium. Self-employed taxpayers are eligible to deduct their health insurance premium as a deduction to their income. What would be done? Medical expenses that can be deductible are defined according to the IRS code as those costs which are related to the diagnosis, treatment or mitigation of diseases and are mainly for the purpose of affecting any major body part or function.  Various treatments related to cancer such as the chemotherapy and radiation surgery are too expensive and the arrangement of your health insurance plans will have a major impact on the coverage of these expenses. There are several categories of cancer and in case of any rare type of cancers such as mesothelioma which would need specialized care; travel is an important part of the treatment procedure. The cost involved in the travel during cancer treatment medical procedures might be tax-deductible. There is a comprehensive list of costs which would qualify for a tax deduction and this list would include health insurance premiums which are not paid in pre-tax dollars. You might pay for the medical care you have received by your credit card, cash or personal checks during the period of the tax year in which the tax deduction was being considered. During the time of tax return filing, itemized tax deductions such as the expenses related to medical bills, mortgage interest, State and Property taxes and charitable contributions will exceed the increased Standard Deduction that has been permissible by the IRS. The permissible Standard Deduction for the US citizens is $12,000 for those who are filing using Single status and is $24,000 for those citizens who are married and are filing their returns jointly. In case of your tax deductions being itemized, the medical costs incurred should be more than 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) for the year 2019. Also, this figure was different for the tax year 2018 in which someone who has an AGI of $50,000 would deduct the expenses which are out-of-pocket if they are more than $3750. Conclusion Hence, in case of any life-threatening diseases such as cancer tax deductions and claiming of credits is feasible but you must be well-aware about the tax rules and regulations.

All you need to know about Tax Deductions for Contributions for the NRI in the US.

by | Dec 18, 2020 | Tax Deduction, Tax Deduction Ideas

All you need to know about Tax Deductions for Contributions

for the NRI in the US.

Giving Tuesday is said to be a day when individuals and businesses are helping the needy by making various charitable contributions. This would also increase the possibilities by which the tax bills of NRIs can be trimmed before the year 2020 comes to an end. The Giving Tuesday this year would be even more special as a lot of people are having genuine needs due to the adverse impact of the pandemic COVID-19. However, it is also necessary to understand which organization would qualify as a charitable organization.

NRIs in the US are aware of the concept of donating for charity and then writing off the donations made. However, there seems to be some confusion related to the exact concept behind this. Some Americans consider that contributions made to any organization can be deducted. Some others feel that the value of time that has been spent on volunteering can be deductible. But, the concept behind both these ideas is not true. Let us check out the real concept underlying the tax deductions related to charitable contributions and their functioning.

Charitable Contribution

According to the IRS, charitable contributions occur for an NRI when he donates money which can include securities, goods/services, or business ownership to a particular organization. The market value of the contributions made would be deducted from your income tax returns.

The IRS has specified that for any particular donation or contribution to be qualified as charitable it must be made to a qualified organization. If contributions are made to any political parties, individuals, and any other candidates then those contributions are not tax-deductible. In general, the only deductible charitable donations are those contributions that are being made to a scientific, literary, educational or religious organization that has a 501(c) (3) status obtained from the IRS. NRIs can use the IRS Search Tool to have a clear understanding of which organization qualifies as a charitable organization.

Different categories of contributions

In addition to money, other things which can be donated or contributed are:-

  1. Artwork
  2. Clothes
  3. Vehicles
  4. Jewellery
  5. Valuable items 
  • Any of these above-mentioned items contributed would qualify for a tax deduction.
  • In case, if the value of the contributions made is $250 or more than that then a written acknowledgement has to be obtained from the charitable organization about the donation.
  • In case, if the value of the charitable contributions which are non-cash is more than $500 then the NRI would have to mention some information about the charitable organization and the donation that was made while the income tax return would be filed.

Volunteering

Many NRIs consider the time which they have spent in volunteering can make them eligible for tax deductions. However, this is not legal according to the guidelines of the IRS. The value of a particular person’s time is completely different from the value of another person’s time and it is difficult for the IRS to verify the worth of a particular person’s time. It is also not feasible to deduct any of your expenses related to volunteering for taxes. However, costs like the cost of gas, oil, uniform, air/bus transport, etc. which is related to your volunteering work can be deducted for tax.

Paperwork required

  1. When making charitable contributions and using them for availing tax deduction is the intent then the paperwork is the most necessary thing.
  2. Any kind of cash/non-cash contribution which is of the value of $250 or more will need a written acknowledgement from the organization to which the charity has been made.
  3. Also, IRS Form 8283 must be included along with your income tax returns for the non-cash donations which are more than $500 in value, and for the non-cash property which is more than $5000 in value.
  4. Moreover, the qualified appraisal would also be needed for any non-cash property or non-cash donations that have been made by an NRI.

Deduction of charitable donations

  1. If an NRI is donating to a qualified charitable organization, the contributions made can be eligible for tax deduction only when the deductions are itemized and are not claimed as Standard Deduction.
  2. According to the guidelines of the CARES Act, a new charitable deduction of up to $300 would be permissible on the taxes of 2020 if cash donations are made for a 501(c) (3) organization and the deductions are not itemized.

 Conclusion

 Hence, charitable donations made to proper charitable organizations would be helpful from the tax deduction point of view. The NRIs must have a clear view of the rules associated with charitable contributions and tax deductions to avail the benefits easily.

How to save taxes with a Virtual Wedding in pandemic times?

How to save taxes with a Virtual Wedding in pandemic times?

by | Jul 8, 2020 | Married Life, Tax Deduction Ideas, Virtual Wedding, Wedding Favours

How to save taxes with a Virtual Wedding in pandemic times?

As the pandemic COVID-19 continues to spread across the United States affecting millions of people, there has also been a complete shutdown for many businesses including the wedding industry. Many couples who had planned for a wedding during this year have either canceled it or have postponed it. However, many couples have resorted to other alternative means of solemnizing their wedding i.e. by Virtual wedding. How to save taxes with a Virtual Wedding in pandemic times.

With social distancing being the necessity of the current times, many couples have also resorted to performing their weddings by using modern-day technologies. Weddings via Zoom or through other modes of video conferencing are the current trend now. So, are you also thinking of having a Virtual wedding? You would be able to save a considerable amount of money on expenses like food, venue, etc. and would also have opportunities to save tax.

 

Tax deduction ideas for virtual wedding

 In case you got married in 2019 or you are planning for a virtual wedding this year, these tax deduction ideas will be of great help to you.

Your wedding gown

You might think that what would be the tax deduction on the purchase of the wedding gown which you have been dreaming of. However, the best part is that you can be able to donate your beautiful wedding gown and claim a tax deduction in the form of a charitable contribution. It is also feasible that the price of your wedding dress can help you in obtaining an appraisal. In case, the wedding dress costs more than $5000 then the wedding gown must also be appraised.

If you are donating your wedding gown, then you should preserve the receipts and documentation to help claim your tax deduction. There cannot be a feeling better than the feeling of content which you would experience in donating your precious wedding gown. You would feel so happy that the gown which had a special place in your heart has come to someone else’s aid or help. You must ensure that when you are donating your wedding gown, you must donate it to a 501(c) (3) qualified organization i.e. a non-profit organization. 

Wedding gift registry

As your wedding date approaches, you are sure to prepare a traditional gift wish list. If you are planning for a wedding this year you can create a charity registry as well along with the traditional gift wish list. The charity registry can be created easily by registration on myregistry.com and you can motivate your guests to make donations for a good cause. These donations can be used to claim tax deductions so, your guests would be happy to donate and even celebrate with you. There would be a noble cause for which your guests would be contributing and it is sure to make them feel good.

You should be well aware that there are two basic requirements to be met if you intend to claim tax deductions for the charitable donations that you are making.

  • You should ensure that you must have enough tax deductions so that you can obtain the benefit from claiming the itemized deductions.
  • Moreover, as said earlier the donations must be made for a nonprofit organization to be able to claim the tax deductions.

Wedding favors

Due to the pandemic COVID-19, weddings and social gatherings are not permissible; so, a virtual wedding would is the best alternative solution for the current situation. However, wedding favors in times of virtual wedding can sound to be quite impractical. But, you can plan for making a good donation on behalf of all those who attended your special day. This would help in serving two major purposes i.e. – a donation can be of great help to the needy and it would also help you in achieving a tax deduction.

Conclusion

Hence, in these distressful times, cancellation of wedding or postponement of wedding for an infinite period can be even more distressful. A plan for a virtual wedding can be your mood lifter and implementing certain charity plans associated with your wedding can make it sound even more interesting. Your charity receipts and acknowledgments should be intact for a tax deduction which can increase your tax refunds and boost your funds for your married life.