Itemized Deductions For Taxes - Is it a Good Idea?
For instance,by using the 1040-EZ the taxpayer gets a standard deduction for expenses while the 1040A allows you to itemize.
If a single person with no extraordinary conditions chose the 1040-EZ tax form, it would be a good choice.
If that person didn't move, had college or medical expenses or had a child - the standard deduction is proper.
The 1040A is a much more complex form.
It allows you to claim various expenses, charitable contributions and many other life experiences associated with marriage and family.
Having a family adds complexity and options for deductions.
Itemizing can increase your refund well beyond the average range.
Some of the expenses itemization include medical expenses, student loans, moving expenses, business expenses (in an LLC or S corp.
) and several other forms of expenses that can give you an advantage over the standard ez form.
Some report that using itemization often produces results in refund that are twenty to thirty five percent larger than the standard deduction.
Sometimes the question and answer engine in tax software can boost your refund by thirty percent as well if you use software such as TurboTax or another one with pointed questions.
It is estimated that more than 50 billion dollars are left on the table by taxpayers who don't get their proper refund amounts.
Many people simply file the standard deduction form without digging deeper and taking back what they truly deserve.
Remember that the regular deduction is a round estimation based on the average American salary and expenses.
Look over your situation and see if the hassle of itemizing is worth the time.
For many people it is because the returns are greater.