Disaster loss expenses

[bpjones]

My in-laws live in Florida and were impacted by Hurricane Ian. They are in their late 90s and were physically and mentally incapable of preparing for the storm. They didn't have proper food supplies stockpiled, nor any equipment to survive such as a generator or extra batteries. My spouse arrived there two days before the storm hit but didn't  find much in the stores by that point.

My loss, in the form of non-reimbursed expenses, involved flying east, renting a van, two nights in hotels (down to FL and back), shopping for a generator and all the food and supplies they would need to get by until things returned to normalcy.

Can I deduct the food, gas, hotels, van rental and airfare, etc., needed to accomplish this rescue mission? I have spent about $3500, not including the generator.

[SharonD007 · Accepted solution]

It depends. If you rent the property to your in-laws or you and/or your spouse own the property, you may be able to deduct uninsured casualty losses subject to certain limitations. If the property does not belong to you, you cannot deduct the expenses that you incurred to accomplish this rescue mission. The IRS states that “you may be able to deduct casualty losses relating to your home, household items, and vehicle on your federal income tax return.”

Please see the IRS Topic No. 515 Casualty, Disaster, and Theft Losses for more information.