Tax Minute
YEAR END TAX TIP (6)
Contrary to what most people scrambling for last minute tax deductions prefer to believe, dating your tax-deductible checks December 31, 2024 does not automatically entitle you to a 2024 tax deduction. Rather, whether a deduction falls into 2024 or 2025 depends on when a check is delivered, which is not necessarily the date written on the face of the check. Fortunately, the date of delivery does not mean that you have to depend on the post office to actually deliver your checks by December 31st to take the deduction in 2024. As long as you drop your payments into a mailbox by midnight on December 31st you can claim them as 2024 tax deductions even if your checks aren't cashed until next year. Under audit, you will need to prove that you actually mailed the check by December 31, 2024. So, if you are making a large year-end payment for a deductible expense, I suggest that you mail the payment using certified mail or use the bill payer feature offered by your bank.