Following the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), many federal deductions for individuals were eliminated through 2025, including unreimbursed employee expenses, tax preparation fees, hobby losses, and safe deposit box fees. Also disallowed are personal casualty/theft losses (unless in a federal disaster area), moving expenses (non-military), and most entertainment expenses.
The TCJA eliminated deductions for unreimbursed employee expenses, tax preparation fees, and other miscellaneous deductions. It also eliminated the deduction for theft and personal casualty losses, although taxpayers can still claim a deduction for certain casualty losses occurring in federally declared disaster areas.
Expenses that primarily support your personal life remain non-deductible, even if they indirectly relate to work.
The "$1000 instant tax deduction" refers to a proposed Australian tax policy, specifically from the Albanese Labor government in 2025, allowing eligible workers to claim a flat $1,000 deduction for work-related expenses without needing receipts, simplifying tax returns for those with lower expenses but potentially costing those with higher expenses, starting from 1 July 2026. It's an option to replace itemised work-related deductions, not an extra refund, and doesn't affect non-work-related deductions like charity.
The IRS allows taxpayers to deduct up to $3,000 of realized investment losses ($1,500 if married filing separately) against ordinary income each year. This deduction applies only to losses in taxable investment accounts and must be realized by December 31st to count for that tax year.
The section 179 deduction allows taxpayers, other than trusts and estates, to elect to expense a specified amount of the cost of qualifying property purchased for use in a business. For tax years beginning in 2026 the maximum deduction is $2,560,000, (2025, the maximum deduction is $2,500,000).
The IRS doesn't have a specific dollar limit for hobby income; instead, it focuses on profit motive: if you intend to make a profit, it's a business, but if it's for fun, it's a hobby, and you must report all income but can't deduct losses. Key is that you report all hobby income on Form 1040 as "other income," and if net earnings from self-employment are $400 or more, you owe self-employment tax, even if it's a side gig. The main difference from business is that you can't deduct hobby expenses (under current law) and must report all profits.
Many business expenses are 100% deductible, including advertising, employee wages, rent, supplies, and certain business meals like company parties or meals for the public, while personal deductions like student loan interest or charitable donations (depending on the type) can also be fully deductible for individuals. The key is that the expense must be "ordinary and necessary" for your trade or business or meet specific IRS criteria, often differentiating from the 50% rule for client meals.
Situations where you can claim on tax without receipts
What are the most common tax deductions people claim?
How long should I save them? If you claim something on your taxes, you need to keep the receipt for at least 7 years. This is the threshold for the IRS to audit your tax filings. Then if the IRS does decide to audit you, you will have the necessary paperwork to show that you made those purchases.
Yes — according to Section 179 of the IRS tax code, small businesses can write off the full purchase price of new and used machines for the year they purchased them. This allows business owners to save a significant amount of money in taxes and reinvest that money back into their businesses instead.
If the vehicle weighs more than 6,000 pounds and is used more than 50% for business, you can write off up to $28,900 in the first year, and potentially even more with bonus depreciation. Let's break it down: Buy a qualifying vehicle for $60,000, and you could write off a large portion of that cost in year one.
Limited circumstances for stand-alone 179 benefits.
The Section 179 expense limit and phase-out threshold ($2,560,000 and $4,090,000, respectively, for 2026) are now permanent parts of the tax code that are adjusted annually for inflation.
Deduct stock losses on Schedule D and Form 8949 of your tax return. A capital loss can offset ordinary income up to $3,000 per year if no capital gains are available. Unused losses above the $3,000 limit can be carried forward to future tax years.
Tax loss harvesting is a fundamental idea that reduces the tax burden resulting from short-term and long-term investment profits. However, the strategy should only be used for tax planning and not be employed as a portfolio management tactic since its frequent use may amplify losses.
10 of the Largest Tax Breaks Explained
One Big Beautiful Bill Tax Law Changes for your 2026 (and on) tax returns