Deduction

Deduction

An expense that is allowable as a reduction of gross taxable income by the IRS e.g., charity donations.

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deduction

An expenditure that may legally be used to reduce an individual's income-tax liability. Potential deductions of particular interest to investors are expenditures for subscriptions to financial publications, a lock box for storing securities, and computer software for investment-related activities. These deductions, combined with employee business expenses and miscellaneous deductions, may be subtracted from a person's taxable income only to the extent their total exceeds 2% of that person's adjusted gross income. Interest paid on loans used to finance investments is deductible only against investment income. Also called itemized deduction, tax deduction. See also charitable contribution deduction.

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Deduction. A deduction is an amount you can subtract from your gross income or adjusted gross income to lower your taxable income when you file your income tax return.

Certain deductions, such as money contributed to a traditional IRA or interest payments on a college loan, are available only to taxpayers who qualify for these deductions based on specific expenditures or income limits, or both.

Other deductions are more widely available. For example, you can take a standard deduction, an amount that's fixed each year. And if your expenses for certain things, such as home mortgage interest, real estate taxes, and state and local income taxes, total more than the standard deduction, it may pay for you to itemize deductions instead.

However, if your adjusted gross income is above the limit Congress sets for the year, you may lose some of or all these deductions.

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Deduction

An amount that may be subtracted from income that is otherwise taxable.