- 1). Consult the IRS lists of itemized deductions and adjustments to income to determine which category the deduction you wish to claim falls into. Common itemized deductions include charitable gifts, mortgage interest and medical expenses. Common adjustments to income include contributions to traditional IRAs, student loan interest and moving expenses.
- 2). Use form 1040A if you are claiming only the educator expenses, IRA contribution, student loan interest or tuition and fees deduction. If you are claiming any other adjustments to income, or if you are claiming any itemized deductions, you must file your taxes using for 1040.
- 3). Write the amount of your adjustments to income on the appropriate line of your tax return. You should always claim adjustments to income that you are eligible for because claiming them does not affect your eligibility to claim the standard deduction. For example, if you are claiming the health savings account deduction for the tax year 2009, you would write the amount of the deduction on line 25 of form 1040. These amounts will reduce your taxable income.
- 4). Take the sum of all your itemized deductions and compare the total to the standard deduction. You should only claim itemized deductions if the total exceeds the value of your standard deduction.
- 5). Complete Schedule A by writing the value of your itemized deductions on the appropriate line. For example, if you claim the home mortgage interest deduction you would write the amount on line 10 for the tax year 2009.
- 6). Total the value of all of your itemized deductions and write the sum on both line 29 of Schedule A and line 40a of form 1040 tax return. Your taxable income will be reduced by this amount.
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