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Are legal fees for immigration (employer-sponsored) tax deductible?

Good evening.

I am preparing my tax return. I have two questions. I am an international person and I just started working in the US.

  1. My employer sponsored me for the H1 visa. They paid all the application fees. However, when it did get approved by INS (USCIS) I traveled to Canada to get the visa stamp. However, I incurred about 00.00 of travel expenses related to my visa stamp (since the US consulate did some background checks and I was stuck there for 3 weeks). Since this stamp is for being able to work in the USA (employer-related), would it qualify as a tax-deductible?

  1. I have also paid legal fees of about 00 (lawyer feels + application filing fees) to a lawyer for employer-sponsored permanent residency (green card) for the US. Would this qualify as a tax- deductible event?

I am using Turbo Tax where it says, "eligible expenses include court/ attorney fees related to either doing or keeping your job" are deductible. I think I have a case for the above since I would not be authorized to work legally in the US without the above but I am not sure. Can someone please advise.

  1. Finally, I'm wondering should I do a itemized-deduction or a standard deduction. I don't own a home etc. The only itemized- deduction I have are charity contributions (0), moving expenses (0), Roth IRA contributions (00), and if the above legal fees are deductible. If so, then I think the itemize-deduction would lower my overall income. Can someone help?

Thank you for your time. The US tax system is too complicated.

Reply to
pallav
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The IRS interpretation of the law, which may be exactly correct, is that such expenditures are non-deductible personal items.

Reply to
Bill Brown

"pallav" wrote

The expenses you incured are to ~~~~obtain~~~~ employment in the US. Non-deductible.

There's a very hard line drawn on that difference.

There you have it. It's clearly an expense incured to obtain the job - not deductible.

Most all the complications are caused by deductions and exemptions from income, or for tax credits.

Reply to
Paul Thomas, CPA

Most of the complications are caused by tax simplification.

Dick

Reply to
Dick Adams

While several people may find doing their own taxes worthwhile, I would suggest that this would be a case that hiring a specialist would be financially better. The variety of situations that are occurring and the lack of knowledge generally suggest this is a case where an specialist is better. After two years, you will find the tax complexity will be reduced and using software or doing oneself would be cheaper.

Reply to
parrisbraeside

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