If I paid someone else's car registration in 2022, should I be the one claiming it instead of them?

[dcash_88]

My friend got severely ill and was unable to work enough to cover certain bills including her vehicle registration. In fact she is tax exempt because she doesn't work enough throughout the year.

[DoninGA]

No.  Since you are not the owner of the vehicle you cannot deduct the registration fees on your tax return.

[xmasbaby0]

No.   You gave your friend a gift, which was kind and generous, but gifts to individuals are not deductible.

[dcash_88]

If one wants to say it was a gift, more of a guarantee that I would have a vehicle to use on my driver's test a few months later.

[xmasbaby0]

@dcash_88 Sorry---any way you try to spin it, you cannot deduct the expense of paying for someone else's car registration.

[Opus 17]

@dcash_88 

It is simply the case that you must be the person against whom the tax is assessed, and also be the person who paid the tax, in order to deduct it. You can’t deduct it because you didn’t own the car, and your friend can’t deduct it because they didn’t pay it.

The same would be true if you paid a friend’s income tax, or real property tax.