? home improvement
Pat Shuff Sun Houston SE
what does the IRS consider dedutable home improvement. I know that weather stripping
is considered deductable. Is wall papering? How about re-hanging doors and windows?
How about materials to repaint and seal the wood on the house? Is there a clearly
defined limit on what is deductable or not and is there a reference I can look at?
P. Shuff
SE Sun Houston
Arnold Goldberg
Pat> what does the IRS consider dedutable home improvement. I know that weather stripping
Pat> is considered deductable. Is wall papering? How about re-hanging doors and windows?
Pat> How about materials to repaint and seal the wood on the house? Is there a clearly
Pat> defined limit on what is deductable or not and is there a reference I can look at?
After speaking with the IRS, the difference is very clear-cut
Improvement is anything added
Repair is fixing something that was there.
Examples
Old Central-AC breaks down.
You get a new one (improvement, must be added to basis)
You repair old one (repair, can be deducted).
Painting gets a little harder (ie more subjective).
Are you paining because there old paint needs it, is peeling
off or whatever, or because you're trying to make the house look
better.
If it's in bad shape, then it's probably a repair.
If it's a just a upgrade to make the house look better then it's
an improvement
arnold
--
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Arnold Goldberg Email: a...@ccd.harris.com
Phone: (407)242-5051 Snail: Harris Controls
Fax : (407)242-4262 407 John Rodes Blvd.
Melbourne, FL 32905
The opinions expressed are my own and do not in any way represent Harris
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Chuck Bowden
>>>>>> On 2 Feb 93 16:06:54 GMT, shuff@texsun (Pat Shuff Sun Houston SE) said:
>
>
>Pat> what does the IRS consider dedutable home improvement. I know that weather stripping
>Pat> is considered deductable. Is wall papering? How about re-hanging doors and windows?
>Pat> How about materials to repaint and seal the wood on the house? Is there a clearly
>Pat> defined limit on what is deductable or not and is there a reference I can look at?
>
>After speaking with the IRS, the difference is very clear-cut
>
>Improvement is anything added
>Repair is fixing something that was there.
>
>
>Examples
>
>Old Central-AC breaks down.
>You get a new one (improvement, must be added to basis)
>You repair old one (repair, can be deducted).
>
>Painting gets a little harder (ie more subjective).
>Are you paining because there old paint needs it, is peeling
>off or whatever, or because you're trying to make the house look
>better.
>
>
>If it's in bad shape, then it's probably a repair.
>If it's a just a upgrade to make the house look better then it's
>an improvement
>
>
>arnold
>
tax deductable? Why would that be?
--
Chuck Bowden / WB7R / chu...@tc.fluke.com / (206) 356-6228
Arnold Goldberg
>Pat> what does the IRS consider dedutable home improvement. I know that weather stripping
>Pat> is considered deductable. Is wall papering? How about re-hanging doors and windows?
>Pat> How about materials to repaint and seal the wood on the house? Is there a clearly
>Pat> defined limit on what is deductable or not and is there a reference I can look at?
>
>After speaking with the IRS, the difference is very clear-cut
>
>Improvement is anything added
>Repair is fixing something that was there.
>
>
Chuck> Are you guys suggesting that spending money to fix up your home is somehow
Chuck> tax deductable? Why would that be?
If I remember correctly, the thread had to do with rental properties.
The other way of deducting repairs is anything done 90 days before a sale
of your primary residence.
Otherwise, you're right, I believe you cannot deduct repairs
on your principal residence.