It is possible to deduct the fees that you pay your investment manager since the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers this as deductible expenses under certain conditions. Once you understand the policies of this deduction, you will make the most of your tax savings and maximize on the sundry tax deductions that taxpayers usually struggle to pay. Below are some guidelines on how you can achieve this.
Sundry expenses
Itemizing the deductions is the first condition taxpayers must satisfy in order to deduct investment expenses. If a taxpayer is not able to itemize the expenses, then they cannot be able to deduct the investment expenses on their own. And for those who can deduct on their own have a second condition to satisfy. There is a class of itemized deductions that cater for various financial and legal fees that are linked to taxable income generating investments.
The deductions include:
- Fees paid for professional management for accounts of taxable investments.
- Fees for accounting and legal services linked to management of investment for accounts that are taxable and investment property that has an income.
- Security deposit fees where you keep documents and securities related to investments or management of investments.
- Rent for office or salary for administrative assistance provided either of these expenses are in connection to managing investment portfolio for the taxpayer.
- Any type of investment expenditure that arose from a placement investment that is private such as subchapter S Corporations, general and limited partnerships, stocks that are closely held or hedge funds. Such expenses must be categorized clearly and kept separately for income gotten from them. The only expenses that can be deducted are those that come from taxable investment.
- Management fees charged for buying stock which is taxable or plans for reinvesting are usually not included.
- Replacement charges arising from lost, stolen or ruined securities certificates or documents. Included in this is fees for indemnity bond if it needs replacement.
- Fees charged for investment research, online subscriptions, newsletters and individualized advice within reasonable limits.
- The annual fee paid to a trustee for management of a living trust which is revocable.
- In case that the fees paid were for an investment that had both nontaxable and taxable income, only the taxable income can be deducted.
Protection charges for retirement plans
There is an annual management fee for retirement plans and custodians of accounts. You cannot deduct when the fees are paid using the money within the plan or account. However, the client is at liberty to pay the fees from other sources of income. Such payments can be drawn as miscellaneous investment charges. Fees within the qualified plans or Roth IRAs are liable for deduction even when not paid from other incomes.
Investment related to business
If you have investments tagged to your business name, then you need not itemize your deductions since all fees on your investment in connection to your business will be deducted as an expense to the business either on Schedule C or other suitable forms based on the nature of business being used.
Other expenses that are miscellaneous
Every investment expense that is eligible are added together with every other miscellaneous expense prior to calculating the deduction. For example employees’ expenses that have not been reimbursed such as home office or vehicle expenses, fees for income tax preparation and losses incurred during engagements that are not seen as business. After the sum total of the expenses, anything beyond 2%of the filer’s Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) will be deducted. If you have a say as to when the fees should be paid, then you are in a position to get a bigger deduction putting together as many expenses as possible within one year by settling annual bills at the start and close of each year.
Conclusion
Those who satisfy the three key guidelines can deduct the investment expenses. If you itemize and your eligible investment expenses are beyond 2% of the AGI, either independently or as a lump sum, it is possible to reduce the taxable income.
