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    Legal fees for SS Disability

    Client paid $6,000 in attorney fees for SS disability benefits. 85% of SS benefits are taxable. Should he deduct all $6,000 on Schedule A or $5,100 (85%)?

    #2
    85%

    Originally posted by Jan S View Post
    Client paid $6,000 in attorney fees for SS disability benefits. 85% of SS benefits are taxable. Should he deduct all $6,000 on Schedule A or $5,100 (85%)?
    5,100 and if I remember, it goes on line 23, subject to the 2% haircut.
    If you loan someone $20 and never see them again, it was probably worth it.

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      #3
      Have the TP get a detailed statement from the atty that shows how much was for retention of income. You can't take an arbitrary amount.
      Believe nothing you have not personally researched and verified.

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        #4
        attorney fees deductible up to amount of taxable income, so the 85% of social security that is taxable.

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          #5
          You should be able to consider the entire $6,000 as applicable to getting the SSI benefit, so 85% of that amount which is the taxable portion of benefit received would be deductible on Sche A (subj to 2% AGI reduction.) That's all these attorneys do as a rule.

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            #6
            Thanks for the replies.

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              #7
              it should be the 6000.
              the 85 is the just for the taxable part of SS
              it will go on sch a line 28
              if you look up the instructions for the line it used to product income which they did

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                #8
                Originally posted by BUSYBEE View Post
                it should be the 6000.
                the 85 is the just for the taxable part of SS
                it will go on sch a line 28
                if you look up the instructions for the line it used to product income which they did
                Perhaps you should read Rev Ruling 87-102. You might want to change your post - it is incorrect.

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                  #9
                  somewhere in my training many years ago, I remember reading that legal fees are deductible if for producing taxable income. so I interpret it to mean only up to the amount of taxable income. which in this case would be the 85% of ss

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                    #10
                    That is correct, and makes perfect sense. Same reasoning on investment advisory fees for taxable vs tax-exempt income.

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