We filed our taxes this weekend with the feds and with the state. Last year, we spent more than 2% of our AGI on tax advice for our 2011 taxes (involved selling a rental property), and got to take the nice “other deductions”. We were $600 short this year – until I started researching into what counted and what didn’t. I can claim all of my membership fees for professional organizations and certifications – that’s *easily* above $600 for the year (and it all comes due in November/December!). So, even though I’ve filed our taxes already, I might amend them and include my membership fees. What will decide me is if I have to pay another filing fee to TurboTax and for how much. If the fees are higher than I’d get back in taxes, not going to bother, but if it’s less, totally going to bother – I have all the records easily accessible. I might also *gasp* mail in the forms….
Next year, we hopefully won’t be paying for a CPA to defend us during an audit, so it will go back to not mattering any more.
Update: We’d get back ~$50 from amending our 2012 taxes, and $9 from amending our 2013 taxes. I’d have to mail all four tax forms (two federal and two state), and the certified mailing fees would really eat into that. I’m not mailing them not certified, so I’ll just chalk this up as a learning experience and if the opportunity comes up in the future, I know I can take that deduction.
Have you gone back and amended returns?