How to Claim Insurance on Taxes for Auto and Health

Author

Reads 166

Close-up image of an insurance policy with a magnifying glass, money, and toy car.
Credit: pexels.com, Close-up image of an insurance policy with a magnifying glass, money, and toy car.

Claiming insurance on taxes can be a bit of a puzzle, but it's a crucial step in maximizing your refund. You can claim insurance premiums paid on your taxes, and this includes life insurance, health insurance, and auto insurance premiums.

For auto insurance, you can claim premiums paid on your taxes if you're self-employed or have a side job. This is because you can deduct business use of your vehicle, which includes insurance premiums.

You can claim up to $300 in medical expenses on your taxes, but only if you itemize your deductions. This includes premiums paid for health insurance, as well as out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Claiming Insurance Deductibles on Taxes

Claiming insurance deductibles on taxes can be a bit of a challenge, but there are some rules to keep in mind.

You can claim the deductible part of your auto insurance repair bill on your taxes, but only if you're not responsible for the accident. The IRS says if your "willful negligence or willful act" caused the accident, there's no deduction.

People Looking the Insurance Policy
Credit: pexels.com, People Looking the Insurance Policy

To figure your loss, you calculate your car's adjusted basis, which is usually the amount you paid for it. Then you have to figure out how much its value went down because of the damage, and use the smaller number as the amount of your loss.

You can't simply bill the IRS for the cost of repairs, but you can use the cost of repairs as proof of how big the loss was. If your car's stolen, you lose 100 percent of its value.

Here's a quick rundown of the steps to claim your loss:

Keep in mind that you can only write off losses if you itemize deductions, and casualty and theft losses are a 2 percent deduction.

Claiming Auto Insurance Deductible on Taxes

You can claim your auto insurance deductible on your taxes, but it's not a guarantee. Federal tax law allows you to take a deduction for the accidental damage or theft of your car.

Tax Deductions Words on Black Surface
Credit: pexels.com, Tax Deductions Words on Black Surface

To qualify, the damage or theft must not be your fault, and you must have paid the deductible out of pocket. If someone steals your car, that counts as a deductible loss, including fraud or taking it by force.

To figure your loss, you calculate your car's adjusted basis, which is usually the amount you paid for it. Then you determine how much its value went down because of the damage.

You can't claim the full cost of repairs as a loss, but you can use the cost of repairs as proof of how big the loss was. If your car's stolen, you lose 100 percent of its value.

Before claiming your loss, subtract whatever your insurer paid you. Then you have to deduct $100 from the amount, and do the same for each loss if you have multiple car losses.

To add up all your total losses, including any other thefts or fire damage to your house, and subtract 10 percent of your adjusted gross income from the total. Whatever you have left is deductible.

You can only write off losses if you itemize deductions, and casualty and theft losses are a 2 percent deduction.

Vision Insurance Deductibles

An Individual Tax Form on the Table
Credit: pexels.com, An Individual Tax Form on the Table

Vision insurance deductibles can be a bit tricky to navigate when it comes to taxes.

You can deduct vision insurance premiums, eye exams, and eye surgeries from your taxes if you paid for those expenses out of pocket.

Any costs covered by a vision insurance plan are not tax deductible.

You can't deduct any portion of your insurance premium that your employer-paid.

Vision expenses paid using an FSA or HSA aren't tax deductible either, since these programs are already tax-free.

Health Insurance and Taxes

Health insurance premiums can be a complex topic when it comes to taxes. You can include health insurance premiums in your medical expense calculations, but certain premiums are not eligible for medical expense deductions.

Some premiums that aren't eligible for deductions include life insurance policies, insurance policies that cover loss of function, sight or life, loss-of-earning insurance policies, car insurance policies covering medical care for people injured by or in your car, and insurance policies that provide a guaranteed weekly amount during hospitalization, injury or illness.

A modern and empty airport baggage claim area with a traveler waiting.
Credit: pexels.com, A modern and empty airport baggage claim area with a traveler waiting.

You can't deduct premiums you pay with tax-free distributions either. If you're self-employed, you may be able to deduct 100% of your health insurance premiums for yourself, your dependents or your spouse as a non-itemized deduction. Report this amount on line 16 of the IRS Schedule 1 form.

Here are some premiums that aren't eligible for deductions:

  • Life insurance policies
  • Insurance policies that cover loss of function, sight or life
  • Loss-of-earning insurance policies
  • Car insurance policies covering medical care for people injured by or in your car
  • Insurance policies that provide a guaranteed weekly amount during hospitalization, injury or illness
  • Premiums you pay with tax-free distributions

Tax-Deductible Health Care Costs

Tax-deductible health care costs can be a lifesaver for those with medical expenses. You can deduct 100% of your health insurance premiums for yourself, your dependents or your spouse as a non-itemized deduction if you are self-employed.

To qualify, you must report this amount on line 16 of the IRS Schedule 1 form. Medical expenses can be a significant deduction, but there are some limits to keep in mind.

You can only deduct unreimbursed qualified medical expenses, which include surgeries, doctor visits and treatments, diagnostic tests, and hospital services. This also includes ambulance services, nursing services, laboratory fees, and fertility treatments.

Person Holding Home Insurance Form
Credit: pexels.com, Person Holding Home Insurance Form

Preventative care, vision and dental care, weight-loss programs, and psychologist and psychiatrist visits are also tax-deductible. You can even deduct travel expenses such as parking fees, bus fare, and gas mileage on your car.

Here are some examples of tax-deductible health care costs:

  • Surgeries
  • Doctor visits and treatments
  • Diagnostic tests
  • Hospital services
  • Ambulance services
  • Nursing services
  • Laboratory fees
  • Fertility treatments
  • Preventative care
  • Vision and dental care
  • Weight-loss programs
  • Psychologist and psychiatrist visits
  • COVID-19 treatment costs
  • COVID-19 home testing
  • Prescription medications
  • Insulin
  • Blood sugar test kits
  • Addiction treatment
  • Glasses and contacts
  • Hearing aids
  • False teeth
  • Traveling expenses for medical care

Remember to keep track of your receipts and records to support your deductions.

Why Choose AIG Tax Liability Insurance?

AIG Tax Liability Insurance offers a range of benefits that can help you reduce or eliminate financial loss from tax authority challenges. This type of insurance can cover various areas of tax coverage, including renewable energy tax credits and U.S. M&A-related issues.

One key area of coverage is renewable energy tax credits, such as investment tax credits (ITCs), production tax credits (PTCs), and carbon sequestration (Sec. 45Q). By providing insurance for these credits, AIG can facilitate investment in renewable projects by shifting some of the financial risk from tax equity investors.

Person Holding Insurance Policy Contract
Credit: pexels.com, Person Holding Insurance Policy Contract

AIG can also underwrite certain tax exposures in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and other countries in Central and South America on a case-by-case basis. This means that you can get coverage for tax issues in a variety of locations.

Policy limits can range up to $50,000,000 and policy terms can be 6 or 7 years. This gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of how much coverage you need and for how long.

Here are some specific areas of tax liability that AIG can help with:

  • Tax-free reorganizations and spin-offs
  • Net operating losses
  • Tax credits (such as investment, production, historic, low income housing)
  • Status issues (S-corps, RICs, REITs, PTPs)
  • Debt versus equity issues
  • Deferred compensation
  • Issues related to real estate and international tax

This list highlights the breadth of tax liability issues that AIG can help with, giving you peace of mind and financial protection.

Life Insurance and Taxes

Life insurance can be a complex topic, especially when it comes to taxes. You can deduct premiums paid for life insurance from your taxable income, but only if the policy is for your business or a business partner.

The IRS considers life insurance proceeds as tax-free if the policy is paid directly to the beneficiary. This is because the insurance company is essentially paying out a loan that was already taxed as income.

You can't deduct premiums paid for life insurance on a personal policy, but you can deduct interest paid on a life insurance loan. This is because the loan is considered a business expense.

Medical Expenses and Insurance

Credit: youtube.com, CPA EXPLAINS How To Deduct ALL Medical Expenses 🏥 From Taxes

Medical expenses can be a significant part of your tax deductions, but they require some calculation to determine what's eligible.

To qualify for a medical expense deduction, your unreimbursed medical expenses must exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI). If your AGI is $50,000, for example, you can only include expenses that surpass $3,750.

You can calculate this by multiplying your AGI by 7.5% and subtracting the result from your total medical expenses. If your yearly medical expenses add up to $5,500, you can only deduct the amount that exceeds $3,750.

Here's a quick rundown of the steps to claim medical expenses on your taxes:

  • Report your total medical expenses for the year on line 1.
  • Report your AGI from your IRS 1040 form on line 2.
  • Record 7.5% of your AGI on line 3.
  • On line 4, record the difference between your medical expenses and 7.5% of your AGI.
  • Take your resulting amount on line 4, add it to any other itemized deductions and then subtract it from your AGI to reduce your taxable income.

Remember, you'll only itemize your deductions if they're higher than the standard deduction, which is currently $12,550 for single taxpayers and $25,100 for married taxpayers filing jointly.

Claiming Medical Expenses on Taxes

To claim medical expenses on your taxes, you'll need to itemize your deductions on the IRS Schedule A form. This requires your medical expenses to be greater than the standard deduction in most cases.

Credit: youtube.com, Are medical expenses deductible?

You can use the following steps to itemize your deductions: report your total medical expenses for the year on line 1, report your AGI from your IRS 1040 form on line 2, record 7.5% of your AGI on line 3, and on line 4, record the difference between your medical expenses and 7.5% of your AGI.

The IRS allows taxpayers to deduct eligible unreimbursed medical expenses that surpass 7.5% of their adjusted gross income (AGI). Your AGI is your taxable income minus any income adjustments such as deductible student loan interest and traditional individual retirement account (IRA) contributions.

Here's a step-by-step guide to claiming medical expenses on your taxes:

  1. Report your total medical expenses for the year on line 1.
  2. Report your AGI from your IRS 1040 form on line 2.
  3. Record 7.5% of your AGI on line 3.
  4. On line 4, record the difference between your medical expenses and 7.5% of your AGI.
  5. Take your resulting amount on line 4, add it to any other itemized deductions and then subtract it from your AGI to reduce your taxable income.
  6. Check to make sure your result is equal to or greater than the standard deduction. If it is less, you should not itemize or deduct your medical expenses.

In 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) doubled the standard deduction from 2016. The single taxpayer standard deduction is $12,550, and the standard deduction for married taxpayers filing jointly is $25,100.

Medical Claims Aren't

Medical claims aren't taxed. You won't have to worry about paying taxes on medical expenses you incur through insurance, whether it's for a car accident or a routine doctor's visit.

Credit: youtube.com, Why Most People Can't Deduct Medical Expenses on Taxes

If you're in a car accident and incur $500 in medical expenses, your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage will reimburse you, and that $500 won't be taxed.

Health insurance companies often pay doctors directly, so you might not even touch the money. But even if you do pay out of pocket and are reimbursed later, you won't have to pay taxes on the amount you're paid.

Using a flexible spending account (FSA) can help you save even more on medical bills and taxes. You can set aside a certain amount of pretax money per year to spend on medical expenses through an FSA offered by your job.

Angie Ernser

Senior Writer

Angie Ernser is a seasoned writer with a deep interest in financial markets. Her expertise lies in municipal bond investments, where she provides clear and insightful analysis to help readers understand the complexities of municipal bond markets. Ernser's articles are known for their clarity and practical advice, making them a valuable resource for both novice and experienced investors.

Love What You Read? Stay Updated!

Join our community for insights, tips, and more.