4 Deductions — Below the Line

cajun afrikaner folk, spanish funk

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Lyrics

[Verse 1]
When April comes and forms are due
Two pathways wait for me and you
Standard deduction, simple and clean
Or itemize each receipt you've seen
Twenty-seven thousand for joint filers
Thirteen thousand five for solo riders
Pick the bigger number for your case
Let the mathematics set the pace

[Chorus]
Below the line, where choices shine
SALT and mortgage, charity's mine
Seven point five for medical bills
Ten thousand cap on state tax thrills
Below the line, these deductions climb
If they beat standard, you'll be fine

[Verse 2]
State and local taxes that you paid
Ten thousand dollar limit, TCJA made
Property and income, pick your blend
But at ten grand, the party ends
Mortgage interest on your castle's cost
Seven fifty thousand, past that it's lost
Acquisition debt from twenty eighteen
These are the rules inside the machine

[Chorus]
Below the line, where choices shine
SALT and mortgage, charity's mine
Seven point five for medical bills
Ten thousand cap on state tax thrills
Below the line, these deductions climb
If they beat standard, you'll be fine

[Bridge]
Charity gifts need paper trails
Sixty percent of income never fails
Medical costs above seven point five
Only disasters keep theft loss alive
Miscellaneous deductions disappeared
Twenty eighteen through twenty twenty-five, they're cleared

[Verse 3]
Doctors and dentists, when the bills pile high
Seven point five percent before you qualify
AGI threshold you must exceed
Then deduct the excess, plant that seed
Qualified charitable distributions flow
From IRA to charity, watch it go

[Chorus]
Below the line, where choices shine
SALT and mortgage, charity's mine
Seven point five for medical bills
Ten thousand cap on state tax thrills
Below the line, these deductions climb
If they beat standard, you'll be fine

[Outro]
Calculate both ways, compare the sums
Take the larger when April comes
Below the line or standard rate
Smart taxpayers never leave it to fate

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