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Itemized Deduction

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Itemized deduction for employees. Conversely, educational costs aren't deductible if the education is required to get into the field (as opposed to staying in the field) or qualifies you for a new trade or business. For example, a doctor cannot deduct basic medical school costs because these are required to enter the field. Once he becomes a doctor, however, any courses he takes to keep current or learn new techniques are deductible. The expenses of becoming a specialist within a field may or may not be deductible. For example, if the goal all along was to become a psychiatrist and the individual went straight through medical school, internship, and then into a psychiatric residency, all of the costs would be treated as required to enter the …show more content…

Similarly, to the extent an employee has his education costs reimbursed by his employer, the amount qualifying as deductible is reduced. (How the deduction and reimbursement are treated for tax purposes depends on how the employer sets up the reimbursement procedures. If you'd like me to review your situation, please call.) Student loan interest deduction. In addition to taking an itemized deduction for education expenses, if you incur debt in obtaining education, interest you pay on student loans taken out may be deductible as an above-the-line deduction, i.e., it's subtracted from gross income to determine AGI. This means that you don't have to itemize to take the deduction, and that the deduction isn't subject to the overall limit on itemized deductions. The maximum deduction is $2,500 per year, subject to a phaseout for taxpayers with high …show more content…

Instead of taking a deduction for education expenses, taxpayers may claim the American Opportunity tax credit (AOTC)/Lifetime Learning credit for qualified tuition and related expenses. The maximum AOTC a taxpayer may claim is $2,500 per year per student, for the first four years of undergraduate education at an eligible education institution. The maximum Lifetime Learning credit that may be claimed is $2,000 per year per taxpayer, for any post-high school education (including courses to acquire or improve job skills) at an eligible education institution. The AOTC/Lifetime Learning credits are also subject to phaseout for taxpayers with high AGI. Qualified tuition deduction. Taxpayers who don't claim the AOTC/Lifetime Learning credit are allowed an above-the-line deduction for “qualified tuition and related expenses” for higher education paid during the tax year. These expenses include tuition and fees for the enrollment or attendance of you, your spouse, or any dependent for whom you can claim a personal exemption, for courses of instruction at an eligible institution of higher

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