Legal Definitions - miscellaneous itemized deduction

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMIZED DEDUCTION

A miscellaneous itemized deduction is an expense that can be subtracted from adjusted gross income to determine taxable income. This deduction includes job or investment expenses and other deductions that are not allowed in computing adjusted gross income or personal exemptions. It is only allowed to taxpayers who itemize their deductions and whose total miscellaneous itemized deductions exceed a certain percentage of their adjusted gross income.

• Job-related expenses such as uniforms, travel, and education
• Investment expenses such as fees paid to financial advisors and custodial fees
• Tax preparation fees

For example, if a taxpayer has a total adjusted gross income of $50,000 and their miscellaneous itemized deductions total $5,000, they can only deduct the amount that exceeds 2% of their adjusted gross income, which is $1,000. Therefore, they can only deduct $4,000 from their taxable income.