Deductions & credits

You enter your casualty loss for actual damages in the Deductions and Credits section of TurboTax using the instructions provided below.

If you are using TurboTax Desktop, you will:

1. Click on the "Deductions & Credits" tab on the gray bar across the top of your TurboTax screen
2. Click on "I'll choose what I work on" 
3. Scroll down to "Casualties and Thefts" 
4. Click on "Start"
5. Click on "Add a Casualty or Theft"
6. Enter your information on the follow-up screens

If you are using TurboTax Online you will:

1. Continue your tax return
2. Click on "Deductions & Credits" in your left panel
3. Scroll down to "Other Deductions and Credits"
4. Click on the (down-facing) caret to the right of "Other Deductions and Credits"
5. Scroll down to "Disasters, Theft, and other property loss or damage"
6. Click on "Start"
7. Enter your information on the follow-up screens

Note:

• Your actual property loss: The IRS requires you to use the lesser of your property’s tax basis or the decrease in fair market value to determine the deductible amount of your casualty loss. In most cases, your tax basis is equal to the amount that you originally paid for your property.
• Deductible property loss: Once you have determined your actual loss, you must then reduce it by $100. This $100 reduction is applied to each separate casualty event.
• if the casualty loss is not the result of a federally declared disaster, you must itemize your deductions to claim the loss. 

Click here for "About Casualty Deduction for Federal Income Tax"

Click here for "Uncle Sam to the Rescue"

Click here for "Tax Benefits Available for Victims of Natural Disaster