Almost every day brings news reports of Americans recovering from tornados, wild fires, and other natural disasters. Recovery is often a slow process and when faced with the loss of home or place of business, taxes are likely the last thing on a person's mind. However, the tax code's rules on casualty losses and disaster relief can be of significant help after a disaster.
Disaster relief
Natural disasters, such as tornados and wild fires, have long been recognized as events giving rise to casualty losses. These events are characterized by their suddenness. A casualty loss must flow from an event that is sudden; it cannot be a gradual event, such as normal wear and tear.
Large scale events are frequently designated as federal disasters. This designation is important. When the federal government designates a locality a federally-declared disaster area, special tax rules about casualty losses and filing/payment deadlines apply.
Casualty losses are generally deductible in the year the casualty occurred. However, taxpayers with casualty losses in a federally-declared disaster area may treat the loss as having occurred in the year immediately prior to the tax year in which the disaster happened. This means the taxpayer can deduct the loss on his or her return for that preceding tax year and possibly generate an immediate refund.
A federal disaster declaration also authorizes the IRS postpone certain deadlines for taxpayers who reside or have a business in the disaster area. The IRS can give taxpayers extra time to file returns. The IRS also waives failure-to-deposit penalties for employment and excise tax deposits. The IRS automatically identifies taxpayers located in the disaster area and applies filing and payment relief. Affected taxpayers who reside or have a business located outside the covered disaster area must contact the IRS to request relief.
Casualty losses
To deduct a casualty loss, a taxpayer must be able to show that there was a casualty. The taxpayer also must be able to support the amount the taxpayer takes as a deduction. It is helpful to take photographs of the property as soon as possible after the disaster. These photographs can be compared to ones taken before the disaster to show the extent of the damage.
A personal casualty loss is generally subject to a $100 floor and to a 10 percent of adjusted gross income (AGI) limitation. Only one $100 floor applies to married taxpayers filing a joint return; married taxpayers filing separate returns are each subject to a $100 floor. If a casualty loss takes place within a presidentially declared disaster area, taxpayers are also given the option of filing an amended return for the year before the disaster, taking the loss on that return, and thereby qualifying for an immediate tax refund to the extent that the loss lowers tax liability. The immediate extra cash provided by the refund often helps the taxpayer rebuild quickly where insurance recovery does not cover the entire cost. While this option is usually beneficial, a particular taxpayer's tax position may point to a greater tax savings if the casualty loss deduction is taken in the current year instead.
Special rules
Special casualty loss rules apply to business or income-producing property. Taxpayers with business or income-producing property that is completely destroyed calculate their loss by subtracting any insurance or other reimbursement they receive or expect to receive along with any salvage value from their adjusted basis in the property.
Personal-use real property is also subject to special rules. Taxpayers who suffer damage to personal property (non-real property) also must meet different criteria.
Taxpayers in certain disaster areas, such as the Gulf Opportunity (GO) Zone, may also be eligible for enhanced disaster relief. Several years ago, Congress enacted national disaster relief that provided for bonus depreciation, expanded expensing and other provisions. However, this national disaster relief has expired for most taxpayers.
If you have any questions about disaster relief, please contact Doeren Mayhew.
If and only to the extent that this publication contains contributions from tax professionals who are subject to the rules of professional conduct set forth in Circular 230, as promulgated by the United States Department of the Treasury, the publisher, on behalf of those contributors, hereby states that any U.S. federal tax advice that is contained in such contributions was not intended or written to be used by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Service, and it cannot be used by any taxpayer for such purpose.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Check status of a charity before making a contribution
Americans donate hundreds of millions of dollars every year to charity. It is important that every donation be used as the donors intended and that the charity is legitimate. The IRS oversees the activities of charitable organizations. This is a huge job because of the number and diversity of tax-exempt organizations and one that the IRS takes very seriously.
Exempt organizations
Charitable organizations often are organized as tax-exempt entities. To be tax-exempt under Code Sec. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, an organization must be organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes in Code Sec. 501(c)(3), and none of its earnings may inure to any private shareholder or individual. In addition, it may not be an action organization; that is, it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates. Churches that meet the requirements of Code Sec. 501(c)(3) are automatically considered tax exempt and are not required to apply for and obtain recognition of tax-exempt status from the IRS.
Tax-exempt organizations must file annual reports with the IRS. If an organization fails to file the required reports for three consecutive years, its tax-exempt status is automatically revoked. Recently, the tax-exempt status of more than 200,000 organizations was automatically revoked. Most of these organizations are very small ones and the IRS believes that they likely did not know about the requirement to file or risk loss of tax-exempt status. The IRS has put special procedures in place to help these small organizations regain their tax-exempt status.
Contributions
Contributions to qualified charities are tax-deductible. They key word here is qualified. The organization must be recognized by the IRS as a legitimate charity.
The IRS maintains a list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions. The list is known as Publication 78, Cumulative List of Organizations described in Section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Similar information is available on an IRS Business Master File (BMF) extract.
In certain cases, the IRS will allow deductions for contributions to organizations that have lost their exempt status but are listed in or covered by Publication 78 or the BMF extract. Additionally, private foundations and sponsoring organizations of donor-advised funds generally may rely on an organization's foundation status (or supporting organization type) set forth in Publication 78 or the BMF extract for grant-making purposes.
Generally, the donor must be unaware of the change in status of the organization. If the donor had knowledge of the organization's revocation of exempt status, knew that revocation was imminent or was responsible for the loss of status, the IRS will disallow any purported deduction.
Churches
As mentioned earlier, churches are not required to apply for tax-exempt status. This means that taxpayers may claim a charitable deduction for donations to a church that meets the Code Sec. 501(c)(3) requirements even though the church has neither sought nor received IRS recognition that it is tax-exempt.
Foreign charities
Contributions to foreign charities may be deductible under an income tax treaty. For example, taxpayers may be able to deduct contributions to certain Canadian charitable organizations covered under an income tax treaty with Canada. Before donating to a foreign charity, please contact our office and we can determine if the contribution meets the IRS requirements for deductibility.
The rules governing charities, tax-exempt organizations and contributions are complex. Please contact Doeren Mayhew if you have any questions.
If and only to the extent that this publication contains contributions from tax professionals who are subject to the rules of professional conduct set forth in Circular 230, as promulgated by the United States Department of the Treasury, the publisher, on behalf of those contributors, hereby states that any U.S. federal tax advice that is contained in such contributions was not intended or written to be used by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Service, and it cannot be used by any taxpayer for such purpose.
Exempt organizations
Charitable organizations often are organized as tax-exempt entities. To be tax-exempt under Code Sec. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, an organization must be organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes in Code Sec. 501(c)(3), and none of its earnings may inure to any private shareholder or individual. In addition, it may not be an action organization; that is, it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates. Churches that meet the requirements of Code Sec. 501(c)(3) are automatically considered tax exempt and are not required to apply for and obtain recognition of tax-exempt status from the IRS.
Tax-exempt organizations must file annual reports with the IRS. If an organization fails to file the required reports for three consecutive years, its tax-exempt status is automatically revoked. Recently, the tax-exempt status of more than 200,000 organizations was automatically revoked. Most of these organizations are very small ones and the IRS believes that they likely did not know about the requirement to file or risk loss of tax-exempt status. The IRS has put special procedures in place to help these small organizations regain their tax-exempt status.
Contributions
Contributions to qualified charities are tax-deductible. They key word here is qualified. The organization must be recognized by the IRS as a legitimate charity.
The IRS maintains a list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions. The list is known as Publication 78, Cumulative List of Organizations described in Section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Similar information is available on an IRS Business Master File (BMF) extract.
In certain cases, the IRS will allow deductions for contributions to organizations that have lost their exempt status but are listed in or covered by Publication 78 or the BMF extract. Additionally, private foundations and sponsoring organizations of donor-advised funds generally may rely on an organization's foundation status (or supporting organization type) set forth in Publication 78 or the BMF extract for grant-making purposes.
Generally, the donor must be unaware of the change in status of the organization. If the donor had knowledge of the organization's revocation of exempt status, knew that revocation was imminent or was responsible for the loss of status, the IRS will disallow any purported deduction.
Churches
As mentioned earlier, churches are not required to apply for tax-exempt status. This means that taxpayers may claim a charitable deduction for donations to a church that meets the Code Sec. 501(c)(3) requirements even though the church has neither sought nor received IRS recognition that it is tax-exempt.
Foreign charities
Contributions to foreign charities may be deductible under an income tax treaty. For example, taxpayers may be able to deduct contributions to certain Canadian charitable organizations covered under an income tax treaty with Canada. Before donating to a foreign charity, please contact our office and we can determine if the contribution meets the IRS requirements for deductibility.
The rules governing charities, tax-exempt organizations and contributions are complex. Please contact Doeren Mayhew if you have any questions.
If and only to the extent that this publication contains contributions from tax professionals who are subject to the rules of professional conduct set forth in Circular 230, as promulgated by the United States Department of the Treasury, the publisher, on behalf of those contributors, hereby states that any U.S. federal tax advice that is contained in such contributions was not intended or written to be used by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Service, and it cannot be used by any taxpayer for such purpose.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
How Do I? Use the Half-Year Depreciation Convention
Under the current depreciation system (generally applicable to tangible property placed in service after 1986), depreciation is calculated using an applicable method, period, and convention. To compute the deduction for the year the property is placed in service and the year the property is disposed of or retired, the tax code uses averaging conventions to establish deemed placed-in-service and retirement dates. Depreciation is allowed for the portion of the tax year that the property is placed in service under the applicable convention.
Under the tax code, the applicable convention generally is the half-year convention, although other conventions (mid-month or mid-quarter) may also apply. The half-year convention applies to all depreciable property other than residential rental property and nonresidential real property, unless the mid-quarter convention applies. (The mid-month convention applies to residential rental property, nonresidential real property, and certain railroad property.) The mid-quarter convention is used in place of the half-year convention if more than 40 percent of the cost of property (other than real property) is placed in service in the last quarter of the tax year.
The convention applies to the first year and the last year of depreciation. Property that is placed in service after the beginning of the tax year is entitled to six months of depreciation. The property is also entitled to six months of depreciation in the year of disposal or in the year that the useful life expires (as if the property were sold at the mid-point of the tax year). The averaging convention must be followed consistently for an asset account.
Depreciation under the half-year convention is calculated by treating all property as if it were placed in service on the first day of the second half of the tax year (July 1 for a calendar year taxpayer), the midpoint of the tax year. Similarly, property that is retired during the year is treated as retired on the first day of the second half of the tax year. The amount of depreciation in a tax year when the half-year convention applies is one-half the amount that would be allowed by taking depreciation for the full tax year.
Example. A calendar year taxpayer purchases a machine on January 1 and begins to use it on February 1, The applicable convention determines the placed-in-service date and the calculation of depreciation. Under the half-year convention, the machine is deemed to be placed in service on July 1, even though it was actually placed in service on February 1. The taxpayer can take six months of depreciation for the period July 1 to December 31 of the first year. If property previously placed in service were retired on February 1 (and the property had not been fully depreciated), the property would be treated as disposed of on June 30, and the taxpayer could take six months of depreciation.
Contact Doeren Mayhew for more information.
Under the tax code, the applicable convention generally is the half-year convention, although other conventions (mid-month or mid-quarter) may also apply. The half-year convention applies to all depreciable property other than residential rental property and nonresidential real property, unless the mid-quarter convention applies. (The mid-month convention applies to residential rental property, nonresidential real property, and certain railroad property.) The mid-quarter convention is used in place of the half-year convention if more than 40 percent of the cost of property (other than real property) is placed in service in the last quarter of the tax year.
The convention applies to the first year and the last year of depreciation. Property that is placed in service after the beginning of the tax year is entitled to six months of depreciation. The property is also entitled to six months of depreciation in the year of disposal or in the year that the useful life expires (as if the property were sold at the mid-point of the tax year). The averaging convention must be followed consistently for an asset account.
Depreciation under the half-year convention is calculated by treating all property as if it were placed in service on the first day of the second half of the tax year (July 1 for a calendar year taxpayer), the midpoint of the tax year. Similarly, property that is retired during the year is treated as retired on the first day of the second half of the tax year. The amount of depreciation in a tax year when the half-year convention applies is one-half the amount that would be allowed by taking depreciation for the full tax year.
Example. A calendar year taxpayer purchases a machine on January 1 and begins to use it on February 1, The applicable convention determines the placed-in-service date and the calculation of depreciation. Under the half-year convention, the machine is deemed to be placed in service on July 1, even though it was actually placed in service on February 1. The taxpayer can take six months of depreciation for the period July 1 to December 31 of the first year. If property previously placed in service were retired on February 1 (and the property had not been fully depreciated), the property would be treated as disposed of on June 30, and the taxpayer could take six months of depreciation.
Contact Doeren Mayhew for more information.
FAQ: Are summer camp costs deductible?
With school out for the summer, parents are looking for activities for their children. The possibilities include sending a child to day camp or overnight camp. Parents may wonder whether these costs are deductible. At least two possible tax breaks come to mind: the dependent care credit, and the deduction for medical expenses. The most likely tax benefit is the child (or dependent) care credit.
Dependent care credit. To qualify for the dependent care credit, expenses must be employment-related. They must enable the parent to work or to look for employment. The IRS has indicated that the costs of sending a child to overnight camp are not employment-related. However, the costs of sending a child to day camp are treated like day-care costs and will qualify as employment-related expenses (even if the camp features educational activities). At the same time, the costs of sending a child to summer school or to a tutor are not employment-related and cannot be deducted.
In some situations, the IRS requires that expenses be allocated between child care and other, nonqualified services. However, the full cost of day camp generally qualifies for the dependent care credit, without an allocation being required. If the parent works part-time, camp costs may only be claimed for the days worked. However, if the camp requires that the child be enrolled for the entire week, then the full cost is qualified.
Example. Tom works Monday through Wednesday and sends his child to day camp for the entire week. The camp charges $50 per day and children do not have to enroll for an entire week. Tom can only claim $150 in expenses. However, if the camp requires that the child be enrolled for the entire week, Tom can claim $250 in expenses.
Dependent care costs also may be reimbursed by a flexible spending account (FSAs) under an employer-sponsored arrangement. FSAs allow pre-tax dollars to fund the account up to specified maximum. Each FSA may limit what it covers so check with your employer before assuming the day camp or similar child care is on its list of reimbursable expenses.
Medical expenses. The cost of camp generally is not deductible as a medical expense. The cost of providing general care to a healthy child is a nondeductible personal expense.
Example. The child's mother works; the child's father is ill and cannot take care of the child. The cost of sending the child to summer camp is not deductible as a medical expense; however, the costs may still qualify for the dependent care credit.
However, camps specifically run for handicapped children and operated to assist the child may come under the umbrella of medical expenses. The degree of assistance is usually determinative in these situations.
Dependency exemption. In any case, the cost of sending a child to camp can be treated as support, for claiming a dependency exemption. For a parent to claim a dependency exemption, the child cannot provide more than half of its own support. The parent must provide some support but does not necessarily have to provide over half of the child's support. If the child is treated as a qualifying relative (because he or she is too old to be a qualifying child), the parent must still provide over half of the child's support.
The rules on the deductibility of camp costs are somewhat complicated, especially in borderline situations. Please check with Doeren Mayhew if you have any questions.
If and only to the extent that this publication contains contributions from tax professionals who are subject to the rules of professional conduct set forth in Circular 230, as promulgated by the United States Department of the Treasury, the publisher, on behalf of those contributors, hereby states that any U.S. federal tax advice that is contained in such contributions was not intended or written to be used by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Service, and it cannot be used by any taxpayer for such purpose.
Dependent care credit. To qualify for the dependent care credit, expenses must be employment-related. They must enable the parent to work or to look for employment. The IRS has indicated that the costs of sending a child to overnight camp are not employment-related. However, the costs of sending a child to day camp are treated like day-care costs and will qualify as employment-related expenses (even if the camp features educational activities). At the same time, the costs of sending a child to summer school or to a tutor are not employment-related and cannot be deducted.
In some situations, the IRS requires that expenses be allocated between child care and other, nonqualified services. However, the full cost of day camp generally qualifies for the dependent care credit, without an allocation being required. If the parent works part-time, camp costs may only be claimed for the days worked. However, if the camp requires that the child be enrolled for the entire week, then the full cost is qualified.
Example. Tom works Monday through Wednesday and sends his child to day camp for the entire week. The camp charges $50 per day and children do not have to enroll for an entire week. Tom can only claim $150 in expenses. However, if the camp requires that the child be enrolled for the entire week, Tom can claim $250 in expenses.
Dependent care costs also may be reimbursed by a flexible spending account (FSAs) under an employer-sponsored arrangement. FSAs allow pre-tax dollars to fund the account up to specified maximum. Each FSA may limit what it covers so check with your employer before assuming the day camp or similar child care is on its list of reimbursable expenses.
Medical expenses. The cost of camp generally is not deductible as a medical expense. The cost of providing general care to a healthy child is a nondeductible personal expense.
Example. The child's mother works; the child's father is ill and cannot take care of the child. The cost of sending the child to summer camp is not deductible as a medical expense; however, the costs may still qualify for the dependent care credit.
However, camps specifically run for handicapped children and operated to assist the child may come under the umbrella of medical expenses. The degree of assistance is usually determinative in these situations.
Dependency exemption. In any case, the cost of sending a child to camp can be treated as support, for claiming a dependency exemption. For a parent to claim a dependency exemption, the child cannot provide more than half of its own support. The parent must provide some support but does not necessarily have to provide over half of the child's support. If the child is treated as a qualifying relative (because he or she is too old to be a qualifying child), the parent must still provide over half of the child's support.
The rules on the deductibility of camp costs are somewhat complicated, especially in borderline situations. Please check with Doeren Mayhew if you have any questions.
If and only to the extent that this publication contains contributions from tax professionals who are subject to the rules of professional conduct set forth in Circular 230, as promulgated by the United States Department of the Treasury, the publisher, on behalf of those contributors, hereby states that any U.S. federal tax advice that is contained in such contributions was not intended or written to be used by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Service, and it cannot be used by any taxpayer for such purpose.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
July 2011 tax compliance calendar
As an individual or business, it is your responsibility to be aware of and to meet your tax filing/reporting deadlines. This calendar summarizes important tax reporting and filing data for individuals, businesses and other taxpayers for the month of July 2011.
July 1
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for payroll dates June 25-28.
July 7
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for payroll dates June 29-30, July 1.
July 8
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for payroll dates July 2-5.
July 11
Employees who work for tips. Employees who received $20 or more in tips during June must report them to their employer using Form 4070.
July 13
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for payroll dates July 6-8.
July 15
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for payroll dates July 9-12.
Monthly depositors. Monthly depositors must deposit employment taxes for payments in June.
July 20
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for payroll dates July 13-15.
July 22
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for payroll dates July 16-19.
July 27
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for payroll dates July 20-22.
July 29
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for payroll dates July 23-25.
If and only to the extent that this publication contains contributions from tax professionals who are subject to the rules of professional conduct set forth in Circular 230, as promulgated by the United States Department of the Treasury, the publisher, on behalf of those contributors, hereby states that any U.S. federal tax advice that is contained in such contributions was not intended or written to be used by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Service, and it cannot be used by any taxpayer for such purpose.
Please contact Doeren Mayhew for more information.
July 1
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for payroll dates June 25-28.
July 7
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for payroll dates June 29-30, July 1.
July 8
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for payroll dates July 2-5.
July 11
Employees who work for tips. Employees who received $20 or more in tips during June must report them to their employer using Form 4070.
July 13
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for payroll dates July 6-8.
July 15
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for payroll dates July 9-12.
Monthly depositors. Monthly depositors must deposit employment taxes for payments in June.
July 20
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for payroll dates July 13-15.
July 22
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for payroll dates July 16-19.
July 27
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for payroll dates July 20-22.
July 29
Employers. Semi-weekly depositors must deposit employment taxes for payroll dates July 23-25.
If and only to the extent that this publication contains contributions from tax professionals who are subject to the rules of professional conduct set forth in Circular 230, as promulgated by the United States Department of the Treasury, the publisher, on behalf of those contributors, hereby states that any U.S. federal tax advice that is contained in such contributions was not intended or written to be used by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Service, and it cannot be used by any taxpayer for such purpose.
Please contact Doeren Mayhew for more information.
FAQ: How is a major repair on a business vehicle deducted?
A major repair to a business vehicle is usually deductible in the year of the repair as a "maintenance and repair" cost if your business uses the actual expense method of deducting vehicle expenses. If your business vehicle is written off under the standard mileage rate method, your repair and maintenance costs are assumed to be built into that standard rate and no further deduction is allowed.
Standard mileage rate
The standard mileage rate for business use of a vehicle is 51 cents per mile for the first half of 2011 and 55.5 cents per mile for all business travel during the second half of 2011. The standard mileage rate replaces all actual expenses in determining the deductible operating business costs of a car, vans and/or trucks. If you want to use the standard mileage rate, you must use it in the first year that the vehicle is available for use in your business. If you use the standard mileage rate for the first year, you cannot deduct your repairs for that year. Then in the following years you can use the standard mileage rate or the actual expense method.
Actual cost
You can deduct the actual vehicle expenses for business purposes instead of using the standard mileage rate method. In order to use the actual expenses method, you must determine what it actually cost for the repairs attributable to the business. If you have fully depreciated your vehicle you can still claim your repair expenses.
Exceptions
Of course, the tax law is filled with exceptions and that includes issues relating to the deductibility of vehicle repairs and maintenance. Some ancillary points to consider:
If you receive insurance or warranty reimbursement for a repair, you cannot "double dip" and also take a deduction;
If you are rebuilding a vehicle virtually from the ground up, you may be considered to be adding to its capital value in a manner in which you might be required to deduct costs gradually as depreciation;
If you use your car for both business and personal reasons, you must divide your expenses based upon the miles driven for each purpose.
You may want to calculate your deduction for both methods to determine which one will grant you the larger deduction. If you need assistance with this matter, please feel free to give Doeren Mayhew a call and we will be glad to help.
If and only to the extent that this publication contains contributions from tax professionals who are subject to the rules of professional conduct set forth in Circular 230, as promulgated by the United States Department of the Treasury, the publisher, on behalf of those contributors, hereby states that any U.S. federal tax advice that is contained in such contributions was not intended or written to be used by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Service, and it cannot be used by any taxpayer for such purpose.
Standard mileage rate
The standard mileage rate for business use of a vehicle is 51 cents per mile for the first half of 2011 and 55.5 cents per mile for all business travel during the second half of 2011. The standard mileage rate replaces all actual expenses in determining the deductible operating business costs of a car, vans and/or trucks. If you want to use the standard mileage rate, you must use it in the first year that the vehicle is available for use in your business. If you use the standard mileage rate for the first year, you cannot deduct your repairs for that year. Then in the following years you can use the standard mileage rate or the actual expense method.
Actual cost
You can deduct the actual vehicle expenses for business purposes instead of using the standard mileage rate method. In order to use the actual expenses method, you must determine what it actually cost for the repairs attributable to the business. If you have fully depreciated your vehicle you can still claim your repair expenses.
Exceptions
Of course, the tax law is filled with exceptions and that includes issues relating to the deductibility of vehicle repairs and maintenance. Some ancillary points to consider:
If you receive insurance or warranty reimbursement for a repair, you cannot "double dip" and also take a deduction;
If you are rebuilding a vehicle virtually from the ground up, you may be considered to be adding to its capital value in a manner in which you might be required to deduct costs gradually as depreciation;
If you use your car for both business and personal reasons, you must divide your expenses based upon the miles driven for each purpose.
You may want to calculate your deduction for both methods to determine which one will grant you the larger deduction. If you need assistance with this matter, please feel free to give Doeren Mayhew a call and we will be glad to help.
If and only to the extent that this publication contains contributions from tax professionals who are subject to the rules of professional conduct set forth in Circular 230, as promulgated by the United States Department of the Treasury, the publisher, on behalf of those contributors, hereby states that any U.S. federal tax advice that is contained in such contributions was not intended or written to be used by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer by the Internal Revenue Service, and it cannot be used by any taxpayer for such purpose.
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