Why sign in to the Community?

  • Submit a question
  • Check your notifications
Sign in to the Community or Sign in to TurboTax and start working on your taxes
New Member
posted May 31, 2019 6:18:04 PM

Do I need to pay taxes on the recoverable depreciation my insurance company reimbursed me for for a damaged roof claim? I have a follow-up for clergy housing allowance.

I'm also clergy and wondering if I can still claim my home insurance premium payments toward my housing allowance though I received several thousand dollars in "recoverable depreciation" as part of my insurance claim on the roof they replaced due to hail damage.

0 1 2571
1 Replies
Level 15
May 31, 2019 6:18:06 PM

Hazard insurance is an allowable expense for the housing allowance.  Of course, you can't just deduct expenses.  A housing allowance must be designated in advance and in writing by the church.  If the church designated a $10,000 housing allowance, it doesn't matter if your qualified expenses are $10,001 or $20,000; you can only exclude the $10,000 amount that was designated in advance.

Recoverable depreciation means you have a replacement cost policy and the insurance company is paying you more than the depreciated value of the property.  In the case of a roof, the insurance company may say that, although the roof will cost $5000 to repair, because of it's age it is only worth $3000.  That $2000 is recoverable depreciation.

Insurance proceeds are not taxable unless they are more than your cost basis in the property, or more than the cost of the loss.  Assuming that the proceeds are equal to your loss (what it will cost to fix the property) then the part that is "recoverable depreciation" (i.e. more than the present value of the roof) is not taxable income.