Do we have a deduction based on an noncollectable debt? We have a civil judgement against a contractor who has no assets or wages. Virginia.

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
June 6, 2019
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JohnW15

Level 10

Yes, you almost surely do. According to IRS Topic Number 453 - Bad Debt Deduction,

“A debt becomes worthless when the surrounding facts and circumstances indicate there's no reasonable expectation that the debt will be repaid. To show that a debt is worthless, you must establish that you've taken reasonable steps to collect the debt. It's not necessary to go to court if you can show that a judgment from the court would be uncollectible. You may take the deduction only in the year the debt becomes worthless. You don't have to wait until a debt is due to determine that it's worthless.”

Please see the TurboTax article How to Report Non-Business Bad Debt on a Tax Return for more information.