HOA fees on primary residence and fence replacement

[GTWatson]

We pay HOA fees for garbage pickup and general stuff like street lights etc. on our primary residence. I did not see a spot in TTax to enter this expense.

Also, a hurricane blew down my fence and the HOA sent me a letter to get it replaced. Was the fence replacement deductible, and where would it have gone?   

[KrisD15 · Accepted solution]

Unless this is a rental property, HOA fees are not deductible. 

You might be able to claim the repair of the fence if it was damaged during a Federally Declared Disaster. 

HERE is the list 

[Eagle88]

HOA fees are not deductible. Only property taxes and interest on the mortgage of your primary home. Keep a record of all improvement to you home. If you ever sell, those expenses can deduct from what you pay on capital gains. If this is a rental, it should be a deductible expense in the rental section.

[GTWatson]

Thanks for the answer. I used the list you linked and Hurricane Beryl hit my area and took my fence down. I'll revisit the TTax deduction section to see if it helps. I do use the Standard Deduction since my mortgage is paid off and I don't deduct interest, so if the loss of the fence can't be itemized, I may be out of luck.

Thanks again. 

[KrisD15]

For tax year 2024, you don't need to itemize to take a deduction for casualties occurring in a federally declared disaster, however the cost is reduced by 500. 

There is no 10% of AGI reduction.  This was an update in December 2024.

According to the IRS:

"Personal casualty and theft losses attributable to a qualified disaster loss are not subject to the 10% of the AGI reduction and the $100 reduction is increased to $500. "

[GTWatson]

For the deduction for the fence replacement, what form does it go on? I'm scanning over the 2024 deductions and credits section of TTax , but do not see it yet.  Nevermind, I found it under causality and theft. Some of the terms are confusing. The FMV before loss?  So the fence replacement cost me $4300 and I think I put that value in and put FMV after loss as 0.00. Does this sound reasonable?

[AmyC]

Casualties, thefts and disasters go on Form 4684.

The casualty loss is generally the lesser of:
     - The decrease in FMV of the property due to the casualty.
     - Your adjusted basis in the property.

Some things to help with the form. 

• Basis workbook - Publication 584, Casualty, Disaster, and Theft Loss Workbook
• FEMA website to search for specific disaster for the code to file the forms.
• Information -  Publication 547 (2024), Casualties, Disasters, and Thefts
• Reference -  another post where I showed how to enter Form 4684 Hurricane Milton 
• Form - About Form 4684, Casualties and Thefts

You can use the year of the disaster or the year before. Choose which year gives you the better refund.