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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Evergreen Federal robbery suspect still at large ... Grand jury says off-duty Medford officer justified in killing knife-wielding shoplifter ... Auditor gives county finances clean bill of health ... Evergreen Federal robbery suspect still at large ... Grand jury says off-duty Medford officer justified in killing knife-wielding shoplifter ... Auditor gives county finances clean bill of health ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Deducing what's deductible in the tax code Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 24, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Feb. 24, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News I noticed the city of Medford monthly utility fees seem very similar to the taxes on the yearly Jackson County property tax. They cover public safety and the maintenance of public services and facilities. Why is one deductible on our income tax while the other is not? They are both essentially taxes on real property. —Phil K., Medford We had to really dig deep on this one, Phil. Delving into the Byzantine world of taxes is definitely confusing. Remember, the IRS rules on taxes are ultimately derived from years and years of laws passed by Congress. We’ll try to simplify this as much as possible for you, Phil You’re right, you can take a deduction on the property taxes you pay to Jackson County. The IRS lists a number of non-business deductions you can make, including state, local and foreign income taxes, as well as real estate taxes. State and local personal property taxes and sales taxes are also deductible. But, the IRS has a number of exceptions, so we will cite verbatim the one that applies to your question, Phil: “Deductible real estate taxes generally do not include taxes charged for local benefits and improvements tending to increase the value of your property. These include assessments for streets, sidewalks, water mains, sewer lines, public parking facilities and similar improvements.” In other words, all those utility fees for local improvements cannot be deducted, according to our reading of IRS Publication 17, published in 2015. We’d like to point out, Phil, that Publication 17 is 288 pages and is one of many documents the IRS makes available to explain tax code. —Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 24, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501