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Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Tax Deductible Home Improvements

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Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Tax Deductible Home Improvements

"Your home should tell the story of who you are," says Nate Berkus, the designer Oprah made famous in surprise home renovations he did for guests on her show. Most of us want to make changes or improvements to our homes or apartments so that the space we live in makes us feel comfortable and happy. Sometimes we take on home improvement costs to make our homes more user-friendly or just to have the satisfaction of knowing your abode looks a bit nicer now. Whatever the reasons we make changes to our homes, an important question that almost always comes to mind is, "Are home renovations/improvements tax deductible?" The answer is yes, there are actually tax deductions for improvements, but maybe not in the ways we would expect.
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Table of contents

What home improvements are tax deductible?...Read more

Capital improvements...Read more

Can I write off home improvements after disasters...Read more

But are capital improvements tax deductible?...Read more

What's not considered an improvement?...Read more

Are home improvements tax deductible this year?...Read more

Making sure you catch every tax deduction...Read more

What home improvements are tax deductible?

Home improvement write-offs are just one of a handful of important itemized deductions available to taxpayers, but let's look at exactly what kinds of home improvements the IRS considers every tax-deductible. It looks at all the kinds of changes you might make to your home and the different situations where you might have home improvement costs. For example, you might want to know, "Are home repairs tax deductible?" For each one, they have decided which category each update, improvement or repair falls into and whether it affects your taxes, so every homeowner is clear about every tax deduction for home improvement. To check which home improvements are tax deductible in 2022, you’ll have to check each improvement that you think can qualify to be included in your tax file. Not all of the changes you make to your home are eligible as tax deductions for home improvements, but some improvements can also be considered home office tax deductions.

Capital improvements

Capital <span style="background: linear-gradient(101.76deg, #19ACA4 1.98%, #3563CD 100.59%);
    -webkit-background-clip: text;
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If you own a home, you're probably going to make capital improvements as you live in it over time, whether you do it intentionally or not. And, you want to know, can you write off home improvements? For example, if you add another bathroom in your house, that's obviously intentional, but if your water heater conks out, you don't really have a choice but to replace it. Both fall into the capital category and are considered by the IRS to be tax deductions for home improvements. The IRS considers things that give your property an upgrade that prolongs its useful life, like putting a new roof on, to be in the same category. According to them, it has to last for more than one year to be considered a capital improvement. Same with something that enhances the existing home, like solar panels, or adapts part of the home for new uses, like finishing your basement.

Can I write off home improvements after disasters

There seem to be more natural disasters happening in more places around the globe than ever before. If you live in an area prone to wildfires, tornadoes or floods, you'll want to take note of this: the IRS classifies anything you do to make your house the way it was before the disaster struck as a capital improvement. That makes every home improvement tax-deductible after a disaster. So everything you do to restore your place to its former beauty – even things not normally considered capital improvements, like repainting or fixing the gutters – is in this case, a capital improvement.

But are capital improvements tax deductible?

The answer is yes, but only when you go to sell the house. Changes like these add to the value of your home, and when you sell it to someone, that's when those improvements will affect your taxes. Here's how:
  • Most homes appreciate in value over time, so when you sell yours, you will likely make a profit
  • The profit is called a capital gain, and the IRS usually taxes capital gains
  • If you make capital improvements to your home, you can write off the cost of them from the capital gains tax you might have to pay
Will any of this matter to you? Maybe. Most people will never have to pay taxes on their profits when they sell their homes. This is because the IRS does not tax the first $250,000 of profit for people filing individually, or $500,000 for taxpayers filing jointly. But, if you've owned your home for a long time and made significant capital improvements over time, can you write off home improvements? A tax write-off could be a possibility for you when you sell your home. And there are other ways that home improvements can be a tax deduction for you in the current tax year. More on that later. If you own your own business or work as a freelancer, you can also access this complete guide to tax deductions.

What's not considered an improvement?

What's not <span style="background: linear-gradient(101.76deg, #19ACA4 1.98%, #3563CD 100.59%);
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    text-fill-color: transparent;">considered an improvement?</span>

Are home repairs tax deductible vs. are home improvements tax deductible?

Redecorating vs. correcting a design flaw

Are home improvements tax deductible this year?

Some tax-deductible home improvements can give you a tax benefit before you sell your home. In some situations, changes to your apartment can be eligible, too.

Solar panels

Improvements to your home office

Making sure you catch every tax deduction

When you're self-employed and working as a freelancer, an independent contractor or a gig worker, there are business expenses you might not even know you can write off. Learn more about freelance deductions with FlyFin's A.I.-powered tax service, which finds every possible tax deduction and gives freelancers a CPA on standby, 24/7, for any questions they might have.

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Write Off Your Car Payments

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Moving expenses deduction

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Simplified home office deduction

If you use space in your home as an office for your business, you can take either the actual home office deduction or the simplified home office deduction.

Rent Tax Deduction

If you're self-employed, there are few ways you can write off your rent, and if you know how to use them, they can be among the most important ways to save money on taxes each year.

Side Hustle Taxes

Self-employed individuals can write off business expenses when filing side hustle taxes. You can avoid paying taxes on side jobs if your net income is under $400 in a year.

Internet Bill Tax Deduction

For many who work from home, the internet is necessary for doing business. For some people, their internet bill counts as a tax write-off.

Write Off Your Car Payments

There are many tax deductions you can take related to your car, if you use it for work, but unfortunately your car loan payment isn't one of them.

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