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- Chapter 21. Limit on Itemized Deductions
-
- Limit on itemized deductions. Some of your itemized deductions may be phased
- out if your adjusted gross income is more than $105,250 ($52,625 if you are
- married filing separately).
-
- Introduction
-
- This chapter discusses the limit on itemized deductions, including:
-
- ∙ Who is subject to the limit,
-
- ∙ Which itemized deductions are limited,
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- ∙ How to figure the limit, and
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- ∙ How to complete a worksheet on the limit using an illustrated example.
-
- This limit does not apply to you if:
-
- 1) Your adjusted gross income (AGI) (line 32 of Form 1040) is $105,250 or
- less ($52,625 or less if married filing separately), or
-
- 2) You are taking the standard deduction.
-
- Related form.
-
- This chapter refers to Schedule A (Form 1040), Itemized Deductions. You may
- want to order it to complete your income tax return.
-
- Are You Subject to the Limit?
-
- You are subject to the phaseout of certain itemized deductions if your AGI
- is more than $105,250 ($52,625 if you are married filing separately). Your
- AGI is the amount on line 32 of your Form 1040.
-
- This limit does not apply to estates or trusts.
-
- Which Deductions Are Affected
-
- You are subject to the limit on itemized deductions if you have any of the
- following deductions on Schedule A of Form 1040.
-
- ∙ Taxes - line 8
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- ∙ Home mortgage interest, including points - lines 9a, 9b, and 10
-
- ∙ Charitable contributions - line 16
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- ∙ Moving expenses - line 18
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- ∙ Unreimbursed employee expenses - line 19
-
- ∙ All other miscellaneous deductions that are subject to the 2% limit (see
- Chapter 30)
-
- ∙ Federal estate tax on income in respect of a decedent - line 25
-
- ∙ Amortizable bond premium on bonds acquired before October 23, 1986 -
- line 25
-
- ∙ Deduction for repayment of certain amounts - line 25
-
- ∙ Unrecovered investment in a pension - line 25
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- ∙ Impairment-related work expenses - line 25
-
- Check the index at the back of this publication to locate discussions of these
- deductions.
-
- Which Deductions Are Not Affected
-
- The Schedule A (Form 1040) deductions listed next are not subject to the
- overall limit on itemized deductions. However, they are still subject to
- other applicable limits.
-
- ∙ Medical and dental expenses - line 4
-
- ∙ Investment interest expense - line 11
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- ∙ Nonbusiness casualty and theft losses - line 17
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- ∙ Gambling losses - line 25
-
- Check the index at the back of this publication to locate discussions of these
- deductions.
-
- How to Figure the Limit
-
- If your itemized deductions are subject to the limit, they are reduced by the
- smaller of:
-
- 1) 3% of the amount by which your AGI exceeds $105,250 ($52,625 if married
- filing separately), or
-
- 2) 80% of your itemized deductions that are affected by the limit (listed
- earlier).
-
- Before you figure the overall limit on itemized deductions, you must
- first complete lines 1 through 25 of Schedule A (Form 1040), including any
- appropriate forms (such as Form 2106, Form 3903, etc.).
-
- The overall limit on itemized deductions is figured after you have applied
- all other limits. Other limits figured first include charitable contribution
- limits (Chapter 25), limits on moving expenses (Chapter 27), the 80% limit on
- certain meals and entertainment (Chapter 28), and the 2% of AGI limit on
- certain miscellaneous deductions (Chapter 30).
-
- Itemized Deductions Worksheet. After you have completed Schedule A through
- line 25, you can use the worksheet in this chapter to figure your limit.
- Keep the worksheet for your records.
-
- Itemized Deductions Worksheet
- (Keep for your records)
-
- 1. Add the amounts on Schedule A, lines 4, 8, 12,
- 16, 17, 18, 24, and 25. Enter the total ........ 1 __________
-
- 2. Add the amounts on Schedule A, lines 4, 11,
- and 17, plus any gambling losses included on
- line 25. Enter the total ....................... 2 __________
-
- 3. Subtract line 2 from line 1. (If the result
- is zero, stop here; enter the amount from
- line 1 above on Schedule A, line 26.) .......... 3 __________
-
- 4. Multiply the amount on line 3 by 80% (.80).
- Enter the result ................. 4 __________
-
- 5. Enter the amount from Form 1040,
- line 32 .......................... 5 __________
-
- 6. Enter $105,250 ($52,625 if
- married filing separately) ....... 6 __________
-
- 7. Subtract line 6 from line 5.
- (If the result is zero or less,
- stop here; enter the amount
- from line 1 above on Schedule A,
- line 26.) ....................... 7 __________
-
- 8. Multiply the amount on line 7
- by 3% (.03). Enter the result .... 8 __________
-
- 9. Compare the amounts on lines 4 and 8 above.
- Enter the smaller of the two amounts here ...... 9 __________
-
- 10. Subtract line 9 from line 1. Enter the
- result here and on Schedule A, line 26 ......... 10 __________
-
- Example
-
- For tax year 1992, Bill and Terry Willow are filing a joint return and have
- adjusted gross income of $250,000. Their Schedule A itemized deductions
- consist of the following.
-
- State income and real estate taxes ............ $17,900
- Home mortgage interest ........................ 45,000
- Charitable contributions ...................... 21,000
- Investment interest expense ................... 41,000
- Miscellaneous deductions ...................... 17,240
- Total ......................................... $142,140
-
- The Willows' investment interest expense is not subject to the overall limit
- on itemized deductions. Their deduction for miscellaneous deductions is the
- total after applying the 2% of AGI limit and does not include any gambling
- losses.
-
- The Willows figure their overall limit as follows:
-
- Itemized Deductions Worksheet
- (Keep for your records)
-
- 1. Add the amounts on Schedule A,
- lines 4, 8, 12, 16, 17, 18, 24,
- and 25. Enter the total .................... 142,140
- __________
- 2. Add the amounts on Schedule A, lines 4,
- 11, and 17, plus any gambling losses
- included on line 25. Enter the total ....... 41,000
- __________
- 3. Subtract line 2 from line 1. (If the result
- is zero, stop here; enter the amount from
- line 1 above on Schedule A, line 26.) ...... 101,140
- __________
- 4. Multiply the amount on line 3 by 80% (.80).
- Enter the result .................. 80,912
- __________
- 5. Enter the amount from Form 1040,
- line 32 ........................... 250,000
- __________
- 6. Enter $105,250 ($52,625 if
- married filing separately) ........ 105,250
- __________
- 7. Subtract line 6 from line 5. (If
- the result is zero or less, stop
- here; enter the amount from line
- 1 above on Schedule A, line 26.) .. 144,750
- __________
- 8. Multiply the amount on line
- 7 by 3% (.03). Enter the
- result ............................ 4,343
- __________
- 9. Compare the amounts on lines 4 and
- 8 above. Enter the smaller of the
- two amounts here ........................... 4,343
- __________
- 10.Subtract line 9 from line 1. Enter
- the result here and on Schedule A,
- line 26 .................................... 137,797
- __________
-
- Of their $142,140 total itemized deductions, the Willows can deduct only
- $137,797.
-