| Are home improvements tax deductible? | | | | tax deduction citing medical reasons. Improving the |
| Home improvements, like renovating a home or | | | | homes air filtration system by installing central |
| making permanent additions to the home, increase | | | | air-conditioning or removing a drywall that may be |
| the value of the house while making it more | | | | damp and mould can help abate the symptoms of |
| habitable. Home improvement loans, availed for the | | | | asthma in people experiencing breathing difficulty. The |
| purpose of making certain improvements, qualify for | | | | doctor may have to provide a letter stating the |
| tax deductions. In addition to these loans, certain | | | | necessity of making these improvements. All |
| expenses also qualify for tax deductions and tax | | | | reasonable costs, incurred to accommodate a |
| credits. A tax deduction reduces the amount of | | | | handicapped individual, qualify for deductions. |
| taxable income. A tax credit, on the other hand, | | | | Constructing entrance and exit ramps for the home |
| reduces the actual amount of tax that a person has | | | | and widening the doorway at the entrance and the |
| to pay. Hence, a tax credit is better than a tax | | | | exit to the home in order to help handicapped people |
| deduction since the former reduces the actual tax | | | | living in the home; installing railings and support bars |
| liability. | | | | along stairway and in the bathroom; modifying the |
| Home improvements, that have been undertaken for | | | | kitchen to make it easily accessible to people with |
| medical reasons, also qualify as medical expenses and | | | | disabilities; modifying electric outlets and fixtures; |
| are thus tax deductible. For instance, people suffering | | | | installing lifts and levelling the ground are some of the |
| from heart ailments can install an elevator in the | | | | capital expenses that are deductible. |
| house, to avoid climbing the stairs, and can claim a | | | | |