The American laws are great fun to play with if you know how to handle them, but better be sure you know the rules, or else you fall into trouble. The federal income tax deduction is a statutory requirement under the American laws. All American citizens who fall under this category have to pay this. Taxable income is calculated by removing (a) excluded income, (b) exemptions, and (c) permissible deductions from the individual's gross income. The following are the heads under which you can avail the tax deduction: 1. Exemptions: Some common exclusion from gross incomes is: I) Earnings made from life insurance contracts ii) Earnings made from gifts and inheritances iii) Proceeds granted for personal injuries iv) Interest received from state and municipal bonds certain conditions have to be kept in mind before availing these deductions. 2. Deductions: In addition to the standard deduction, some common above-the-line" deductions include: i) Trade/ Business expenses ii) Alimony iii) IRA contributions iv) Net capital losses v) Expenses incurred due to property used for income generation income tax laws are not everybody's cup of tea and so should be handled with care. 3. The Standard Deduction: When individuals have minimal below-the-line" deductions, they are directly granted a standard deduction. The standard deduction under different heads in 2004 was as follows: i) Single $4,850 ii) Head of household $7,150 iii) Married filing a joint return $9,700 iv) Qualifying widow(er) with dependent child $9,500 v) Married filing a separate return $4,850 4. Miscellaneous Itemized Deductions: These usually include: i) Interest paid ii) Taxes paid iii) Losses incurred iv) Charitable contributions v) Medical costs borne Such miscellaneous deductions are permissible if and only if they surpass 2% of adjusted gross income. 5. Alternative Minimum Tax: applicable when minimum tax revenue is less than the predetermined amount. the individual would now be paying a very negligible tax and helps him in saving some money. 6. Itemized Deductions: The alternative to the standard deduction is itemized deductions. For the year 2004, the major items included in itemized deductions were: i) State and local income and property taxes ii) Donations made to charitable organizations iii) Employee transference expenses iv) Medical expenses incurred v) Casualty losses vi) Interest paid on mortgage However, the individual can either avail standard deduction or itemized deduction. the best alternative in understanding such a complex structure is to catch a person who knows the tax structure better and let him do all the work, but keep your eyes and ears open.
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